The Perfect Dauntless
by BaileeBlair20
Summary: This is a sequel to my first fanficiton Anti Hero. I can't really think up a synopsis to this right now after the long day I've had, all I can say is read Anti Hero first. Eric is going to redefine what it means to be Dauntless meanwhile trying to stay true to himself. EricXTris
1. Chapter 1

**This is a sequel from a previous story I wrote called the Anti Hero**

 **To all my awesome readers, I hope you enjoy this as much**

 **as you all enjoyed the first one :)**

"You know they'll kill you if they ever find out?" Jed said coming to me in the dead of the night.

"I don't care," I growled quietly sitting at the window surrounded by cigarette butts and a near empty bottle of Jack Daniels. I could only stare out the window, off in the far off distant of the dark moonless night I could see the white Ferris wheel on the horizon. If it weren't so dark from the lack of the moon that night I knew I'd be able to see the zip line.

"They'll kill me too," Jed replied quietly, "you're putting all of us in danger, mother, father-."

"They'll never know if you don't tell them," I said bluntly, "when it all comes out just say you didn't know anything about what I'm doing. Save your own skin."

The room remained quiet. Jed was at war with himself, so was I but for such different reasons…

"You're my brother…" Jed said with some hint of sentiment, "but you're making this a lot bigger than us. There's more at stake now."

"Who do you think put us here?" I asked now turning to face him. Even when I did I still couldn't say anything, my room was just as dark as the night.

Jed again didn't have a reply.

"If you didn't want to help me than you never should have in the beginning," I said to him as I poured myself another glass of Jack.

"I admit," Jed said with a shaky voice, "I do regret helping you…but not for the reason you think."

"Why wouldn't you regret it?" I scoffed angrily.

"Would you have killed me if I didn't help you back in the lab?" Jed asked.

For once I didn't have an answer. We both just sat there in the dark, dead, cold night both lost in our own thoughts. The world down below was quiet and yet there was a storm raging not so far off. Everything was about to change…and I knew I wouldn't be there to see what happens in the end.

"I don't regret helping you because I believe in Jeanine's cause," Jed said after some time, "I regret helping you because now I get to witness them torture you with the Fulmination device lodged into your heart."

Instinctively my hands moved up to the conductor rods that were now lodges into my chest underneath my skin. It was a device designed by my father of all people, meant to be a torture device. It was a secret within Erudite, no one knew that they had them and lived to tell anyone about it. There was one central metal ball in the center with wires radiating out of it connecting to a series of smaller balls. Those were the conductors; from there they had wires that went down surrounding my still beating heart. There were more small conductors were placed all around the surface of my heart. Someone was controlling it from a computer and could send the equivalent amount of electricity as a bolt of lightning straight through my heart. Removing it was impossible; once the device is placed into your skin it can never be removed. Even if it was deactivated, there were still conductor rods and wires all around my heart, pulling them out would kill me. I was stuck with this thing for the rest of my life…however long that was going to be.

"You fucking smarties appreciate irony," I said bitterly, "funny how you talk about how I'm putting our father in danger when he's the one who made the Fulminator …if I die you tell dear old dad it's his fault."

"He doesn't know you have it," Jed replied trying to defend him.

"Well…" I said downing the rest of the drink, "I'm sure he'll be pleased to know I have it once everyone finds out I'm a traitor."

After more silent minutes Jed asked, "Why are you doing this?"

I sighed feeling my heart swell painfully…and not from the Fulminator.

"For the stiff," I whispered quietly, "because I can."


	2. Chapter 2

**Sorry I haven't updated in awhile!**

 **I'll get some chapters done with weekend :)**

In the four months that had passed, there wasn't a moment that passed that I didn't think about her. Even now, stalking through the decaying Abnegation village, every Abnegation I saw reminded me of her. I knew it would break her heart to see how her once home was now destroyed. Any surviving Abnegation were taken as prisoners, Jeanine tested them for Divergents. Those who failed the tests were taken as prisoners and put through painful interrogations.

Jeanine had the city by the balls. She played her propaganda messages on every monitor in the city. She blamed the Divergents, saying that they were the ones who orchestrated the attacks on Abnegation and then they blamed them on Erudite. It sickened me that I was forced to follow these orders. Suddenly doing the right thing and following orders became blurred.

Still, following orders was part of how I was going to stay alive. So one bright early morning a month ago, Jeanine summoned me to her office to give me my new mission. I knocked on her door lightly, in my now all blue and black attire. I hated the blue, it didn't look good on me.

"Come in Eric," she called from behind the door.

I didn't even have to ask how she knew it was me, she had cameras everywhere.

I entered moodily and just stood there with my hands behind my back, waiting for my orders.

"I need you to find this," Jeanine said handing me a picture.

It was a drawing, in a blue pencil of course in different angels. It looked like a tall five sided box, on each panel there was the symbols representing the five factions.

"What is it?" I asked harshly.

"It's a message from the founders," Jeanine replied staring at it anxiously.

"A message?" I replied looking at the drawing. Something about it seemed…daunting.

"I believe that it contains something vital to maintaining our peace," Jeanine openly explained, "You will find it and bring it to me."

"Ok," I said turning to head out the door.

"Eric!" Jeanine called out, "Wait."

I stopped sighing quietly and turned around to face her.

"Is everything alright?" Jeanine asked trying to soften her expression.

"Yeah," I said briskly.

"You've seemed…tense the last we weeks," Jeanine said walking closer to me, "Would you like some time off?"

"Time off?" I asked surprised.

"Yes," Jeanine replied, "Maybe you need some time to clear your head."

"No," I said shaking my head, "I'm fine."

Jeanine's expression grew more grim, "Very well…if you ever change your mind, the offer is always open to you."

"I'm fine," I replied, "really…I'll head down to Abnegation and start looking."

After four weeks of tearing up every Abnegation home and digging around, we finally found it. I stalked through the broken homes while more Abnegation was being hauled away. At one home that was no more distinct than the next had half of its wall blown away. I climbed over the rubble to find a few Dauntless/Erudite soldiers standing over a hole they had dug up. They all looked up at me with a satisfied grin, probably waiting for a compliment. I just grabbed the box and walked out. With the box in hand, I felt a wave of contempt for it. I ran my hands over the intricate pattern. Just like the drawing had predicted, it had five sides, at the top of each panel had the different logos for each faction. What could possibly be in here? I remember in my youth, the way that Erudite talked about the founders was like talking about some mythical hero's.

Part of me wanted to run away with the box and find a new place to hide it. But I knew Jeanine would stop at nothing to find it. So I took it over to Max who was standing over a ling of kneeling Abnegation. They were all either elderly or just men. Each had the same sully face or tears running down their face. What stunned me the most is that none of them looked angry. Just sad…

With a new invention built by Jeanine's team, he held up to the face of the last Abnegation in the line, the machine responded with, "Divergent… seven percent."

Max laughed coldly, "Another one! Every single goddamn one of them."

"Go figure," I mumbled gripping the box harder. I knew what was coming and tried to not look at the face of the damned before me.

Max and a group of Dauntless standing behind the group of Abnegation raised their guns to their heads and opened fire. The Abnegation fell face first into the ground. The Dauntless began gathering their bodies to threw them into a maxx grave a few yards away which was nothing more than a large hole in the ground. I didn't have the stomach to go over there and look into it, it sickened me more than I could bare in hearing everyone talking about how it was nearly full.

"How you doing son?" Max said putting his gun back in his holster and turned to me. Max, never called me by his name now. He always called me son.

I handed the box over to him and Max's grin grew, "Tell Jeanine we got it…"

Max nodded to me and pulled out a cell phone that Jeanine had given to him while I walked off.

"Where'd you find it?" Max said following me after a brief phone call.

"In that house," I said pointing to the one, "buried."

"Imagine that," Max said with a grimace as he looked at the house grimly.

"What?" I asked curious. Max had forgotten about any mistrust from the past months and Jeanine was pulling me closer that now they hardly withheld any information from me.

"You know who's house that is?" Max said glancing up at me.

"No," I replied looking at it. It didn't look any more distinct that any of the others.

"Andrew and Natalie Prior…" Max stated as he clenched his jaw, "they've been hiding it all this time…and to think their daughter was trying to get in with us all this time."

"Yup," I said with a dark tone really unsure of how to respond.

I had gotten a slap on the wrist from Jeanine and Max about not finding out she was divergent and reporting it. I made up some bullshit story that she was throwing herself at me, I knew the real suspicion started during her final testing. She had a sim of my attempting to rape her. I told them a whole bullshit story where she tried to come onto me and I stopped her. I told them I scared her off by yelling at her and berating her, it worked out to my advantage that Four was discovered as being Divergent too. I told them that he trained her how to hide. They bought it and Jeanine made me go through all these books and reports she made up about how to recognize a divergent. I barley read through any of it, it was all bullshit.

I got the point across to them that I was only a man of action and that was why I left Erudite. That seemed to strike a nerve with Jeanine. However she kept her cool demeanor and just said that I'm just what she needed.

"After all…you did save my life," she said to me once.

Once Jeanine heard that we had found the box, all the leaders reported back to Erudite. Max and I took it directly to her in a new lab she had designed. I hadn't been to this part of the lab before. It was all sleek and dark; the only light came from the white room with on glass wall. Jeanine placed the box on a pedestal and stared at it admiringly.

"You found it…" Jeanine said breathlessly.

"It was in the home of Natalie and Andrew Prior," Max replied holding his arms behind he back, "just like you said."

I glanced around the white room…there was something daunting about it. up on the ceiling, was a black hole that seemed to dark to tell if there was anything up there. On the ground were silver sensors underneath the black hole.

"You mind telling me what's inside?" Max pressed on.

I chuckled to myself silently, so Jeanine had told me something and not Max huh?

"A message from the founders that will ensure the future our people deserve," Jeanine explained not looking away from the box, "Divergents will destroy our society unless we destroy them…and now we can. However, only a divergent can open this box. Find them, every last one of them."

"Yes ma'am," Max said with a wicked grin and nodded to me.

Together we left the lab heading to a separate living quarters for the Dauntless.

"Hey son," Max began to invite, "why don't you come over for dinner tonight? Zara's making chicken casserole and Alexis would really like to see you."

"I don't know," I started to shrug trying to soften my demeanor, "I'm kinda tired and…"

"Ah c'mon," Max encouraged, "you've been working too hard. I can see it, come spend the night over with us. I know Alexis is dying to see you."

I didn't want to but it was for the best to keep this up, "Alright…sure. Only if you got good shit to drink."

"Son," Max said with a grin and slapped my shoulder, "have I ever let you down before?"

"Nope," I said faking a grin.


	3. Chapter 3

"You sure this is going to work?" I pressed as I was shaving up my face a little. I stood in the bathroom, freshly showered getting ready to head over to Max's.

"Positive," Jed called from my bedroom with an top of the line ipad in his hands, "you just need to make sure that you leave here precisely at one and you need to be down at the front doors at one o' five. I'll hack the security system and make sure that everything's dark but only for those five minutes. I can easily cover that up."

One of the best things about Jed was his skills in hacking. That was where his real Erudite mind came through. He hacked into just about everything ever since he got his first computer for his tenth birthday. He always used to do it just for kicks as a kid. As he got older he learned computer coding and all this shit to cover up his tracks and make it look like as if nothing had happened. He had helped me sneak out of Erudite a twice before without getting detected. This would be the third.

"You need to be back here at three," Jed continued while I kept washing my face, "I'll open the front doors at three, and you need to be back in here by three o' five."

"Got it," I replied as a finished up and grabbed my nice black button up shirt and tossed it on. I left the bathroom and walked out into my bedroom.

"Don't you ever clean up after yourself?" Jed asked looking around my room.

"Never," I muttered as I buttoned up my shirt.

Erudite had provided me with a lavish apartment. It was spacious and wide open; near the front door lead to one big open room that was the living room. The dark navy blue couches overlooked a immense glass wall that looked out over the whole city. The kitchen was big enough to feed ten easily with all top of the line stainless appliances, except the only part of the kitchen I ever used was the bar near the big dining table. My apartment also included my own private gym, an office, a spare bedroom, and my room which had a closet filled with all new clothes. I hated my room, I couldn't stand that the walls were all white. Everything looked to clean and bright. I liked to be in the dark when I was sleeping.

I kept a cool face when Jeanine was showing me around my new apartment, being gracious and thanking her profusely. However once she had left I had the first real fun that I had in a long time. The only good thing was that they provided me with a killer sound system; I put on some loud rock music and took a few shots Vodka. After that I tore all my new blue and black clothes to shreds leaving them on the floor. I had smashed a few of the wooden chairs to the dining room table into pieces, what the fuck did I need eight chairs for? I threw all the blue glass plates and cups against the walls after a few more shots, there was a crack in the glass wall overlooking the city from throwing the lamp against it. My apartment easily looked like the scene of a vicious murder crime. It was disgusting, littered with broken glass, empty beer cans, cigarette butts, pieces of the broken furniture, but to me it just matched everything else about Erudite.

"It's revolting in here," Jed said as together we walked out into the kitchen.

He stood at the bar while I sat on the one surviving stool. I had only one bar stool and one dining room chair, it was all I needed.

"Hey matches everything else in the world right now," I shrugged grabbing a bottle of whiskey on the bar and took a swig.

"You're lucky they don't have surveillance in here," Jed said shaking his head at me, "they do in mine."

"So they get a nice little video every time you and Beth fuck?" I asked with a small smirk.

"No!" Jed replied disgusted, "There's none in our bedroom."

"Don't you ever go anywhere else besides the bedroom?" I smirked even more.

"I am not discussing that with you," Jed mumbled and started messing with his ipad to avoid looking at me.

"Sounds boring," I said taking another drink from the bottle.

"Don't you have a dinner party to go to?" Jed asked taking the bottle from me and setting it back down away from me.

"Yeah," I shrugged.

"It'd probably be best to not show up in a stupor?" Jed said irritated.

"Oh please," I said standing up and grabbing my jacket off the floor, "if I know Max, he'll be just as smashed as I am before I get there."

"Very well," Jed said following my towards the front door maneuvering through all the debris on the floor while I didn't even bother.

"So you're sure that the security shit will all be down?" I said turning to him seriously before we exited my apartment.

"Don't worry about it," Jed promised with a sincere face, "I'll take care of it…where are you going anyways?"

I didn't answer right away…I never told anyone where I went.

"Just going to take a walk," I shrugged.

"At one in the morning?" Jed asked knowing that I was lying, "You're going to see her aren't you."

I never spoke of her. It killed me enough to think about her.

"Who is she?" Jed questioned sincerely, I could tell he just wanted to know. It wasn't the same when everyone else asked me about her.

"No one," I said and swung the door open.

The first thing I always notice when I leave my apartment is the small black dome on the ceiling right in front of my door. It was the cameras, they were everywhere.

Jed said nothing more than a goodbye as we went our separate ways. I headed down the halls maneuvering through. There were doors on all the walls that lead to the other Dauntless leaders apartments. Max's was bigger and grander than all of ours. His was on the north side of the Erudite building. As I got to his I knocked on the door and waited.

I heard the sound of familiar small feet running to the door and a small voice yelling, "He's here! He's here!"

The door flung open to reveal the small toothy grin of Alexis, Max's six year old daughter. She had her usual pink tank top and a black skirt on with her hair tied back with a black bow.

"Eric!" she squealed and ran to me.

"Hey kid," I mumbled as I picked her up and threw her up lightly.

I secretly always wanted a little sister. Alexis was one of few good things in my life yet.

"Daddy! Eric's here!" She called into the apartment.

Max came from around the corner and smiled at me. He looked a lot more relaxed, without the bullet proof vests and thick jackets I could see the real Max. It reminded me of the casual days at Dauntless as he stood there in a light blue button up shirt and a simple pair of dark jeans. He looked must more relaxed and comfortable.

"Hey son!" he called, "c'mon on in."

I entered into the apartment while Max pulled me into a hug pounding on my back lightly as Alexis wiggled out of my arms and held my hand. The house was a lot more warm and welcoming than mine as the smell of chicken casserole and cinnamon filled the whole apartment.

"Eric! Eric!" she said practically jumping in place, "Come here! I wanna show you something."

"Baby let the man breath for a second;" Max grinned paying with her hair lightly, "him and daddy had a rough week at work."

"Hunting down divergent's right daddy?" Alexis said with a satisfied grin as she held onto my hand.

Was Max really telling his six year old what we do? He was already drilling the hate into her impressionable mind...

"Nope!" I heard Zara call out coming from the kitchen walking towards us, "No more work talk! You two both need to relax and forget about all that."

"I'll forget about it once I your chicken casserole," Max smiled and headed back into the kitchen.

"Hey Eric," Sara greeted warmly and hugged me lightly, "How you been?"

"Fine," I said trying to make it sound more convincing than the rest as Alexis looked up at me smiling, "just busy is all."

"Well make yourself at home. Dinner will be ready in about ten minutes," Zara grinned happily.

"Eric c'mere!" Alexis demanded practically making me run down the halls towards the kitchen.

Max was at the fridge grabbing two beers, the kitchen smelled delicious with our dinner in the oven. I usually only ever ate microwave meals or cereal, it would be nice to have some real food. Alexis crawled up on top of a bar stool.

"Look!" Alexis cried, pushing a plate on the counter to me, "me and mama made cinnamon rolls."

Oh the plate were a stack of cinnamon rolls with the icing drizzled over to top. They looked hot and fresh.

"You made these all by yourself?" I grinned at her.

"Uh huh!" Alexis smiled happily, "I didn't everything all by myself."

"Pretty impressive for a six year old," I nodded to her as Max came up to me handing me a beer and went into the living room.

"Mama can me and Eric have one now?" Alexis asked.

"After dinner you can," Zara promised looking into the oven.

"Ah c'mon mom just one?" I whined hoping to get a laugh out of Alexis.

It worked as she started giggling next to me.

"No," Zara said sharing the same smile, "if you kids behave and eat all your dinner then you can have one."

Once Zara turned her back, I quickly tore off a small piece of one cinnamon roll and ripped in into two. I popped one into my mouth and put on in Alexis's small open mouth. She grinned mischievously as I winked at her went out to follow Max.


	4. Chapter 4

I pulled my hoodie up around me wrapping it around me tightly. It was dark and quiet now. I glanced at the clock near my bed, it was 12:54. I wouldn't be able to leave until exactly one. I knew Jed would be awake, hiding somewhere in Erudite. His apartment had cameras, everywhere except his bedroom. I knew he'd be working on hacking into Erudite; it wasn't easy from what he told me unless you designed the system which he did. I headed out into my silent apartment and wandered over to the large glass wall looking over the city.

The moon was bright tonight, from way up high in Erudite's building everything seemed to small. I should consider myself lucky… I could be down there right now in the streets factionless, or abnegation or hiding out with the other Dauntless that refused to join Jeanine's cause. I didn't know where they were, Jeanine had told them that she would not force them to work for her but if they got in the way of her missions they'd be taken out without a second glance. Jeanine would keep me alive…I should consider myself lucky.

I glanced at my watch, 12:58. I went over to the front door and waited. It seemed like the two longest minutes of my life. I hated waiting, but when one o' clock finally came I opened up the door and crept out quickly. I glanced up at the camera, I knew that Jed would be able to see me but no one else would. I should make it a point to thank him sometime.

With only five minutes I moved as quietly and quickly as I could. Erudite was eerie and quiet, the blue light from the moon everything look so cold a server. In rushing down to the main doors, I stopped before I opened them. Me watch read as 1:04. I couldn't open them yet; they could be opened from the inside at the time but not out. If I opened them now they would tick of a silent alarm. After the last few seconds passed I opened the door and slipped out. Once I was safely out I ran along the few trees and miscellaneous things on the Erudite grounds hopefully to hide me if anyone saw me.

Whether I was caught or not didn't matter at this point, I walked like a ghost on the streets. The bright moon casted my shadow as I walked through the streets. I headed towards the edge of town to an old crumbling building. I wasn't sure how safe it was but I knew that's why no one would come wandering through here. The building was tall and rickety; I walked through all the rubble to the concert stairs. This part was going to be exhausting; I had to get to the 24th floor. With each flight of stairs all coiling around upwards, I felt my stomach flipping with nerves and excitement.

When I finally made it up to the flight of stairs that lead to the 24th floor, I saw a small glowing emanating from the makeshift opening where a door should be. Instead there was a flimsy cloth in the opening, I walked forwards slowly swallowing a lump in my throat… my nerves were making me feel sick and anxious all at once. I pushed the cloth back and stepped in…she was here. She came.

"Eric," Tris whispered as her head snapped up to me the second I came through. She sprinted towards me wrapping her arms around my neck.

She buried her face into my neck while I wrapped my arms around her waist as tight as I could. I closed my eyes, letting her hair fall casually into my face. All my nerves melted away…all the anger and frustrations from the last few weeks seemed to slowly vanish even if it was just for this moment. My heart beat was picking up at the sheer excitement to see her. It had been too long since the last time I had snuck out to see her.

She pulled away slightly and rested her forehead on mine, placing her hand cupping my face. I opened my eyes to see her hazel ones staring back into mine. She had the same childlike wonder and beauty on her face hidden by sadness. It reminded me of the sadness I saw on every Abnegation.

She ran her thumb along my cheek and whispered, "Are you ok?"

I really didn't want to fucking cry in front her of but in just hearing those words from her, the broke me in a way that I didn't even know how to explain, "No…"

Tris leaned into me placing her lips on mine. They were just as soft and perfect as I remember. She kept her hand on my face and her other arm wrapped around my neck kissing my softly. She ran her tongue along my bottom lip and for a moment I forgot about everything. I opened my mouth to hers, letting my tongue meet hers. It was slow and passionate, just what I needed right now. I kept my arms wrapped around her tightly as she deepened the kiss. All too soon she broke away but was still intimately close. I could still her feel her warm slow breath on me.

"I miss you," I mumbled quietly.

"Me too," she replied as if choking on a sob, "how are things?"

I didn't even know where to start or if I wanted to tell her. Do I really want to be the one to break the bad news to her about Abnegation? Back four months ago when she came storming into the Erudite lab, she lost both her parents. I managed to save her mother Natalie once only her for to get shot and killed along with her husband just outside the lab by the guards. It killed Tris inside, the first time we snuck out to see each other she just cried and I held her.

I pulled her to me as I sat down on a nearby crate and pulled her into my lap. "Remember that box I told you about?"

Tris nodded.

"We found it…" I expressed sadly, "it was in your house."

"What?" Tris asked surprised.

So she didn't know about it, I was idly wondering if she did.

"Where?" she questioned.

"It was buried," I replied, "in the middle of your living room."

"What does Jeanine think is in that box?" Tris asked.

"I don't know," I shrugged really, "A message from the founders…but I don't think that it's what she thinks it is."

"What does she think it is?"

"Some kind of a message on how to maintain a peaceful society," I said resting my hand hip, "but I don't think a stupid little message is going to help anything."

Tris sighed, I knew she agreed with me.

"What about you?" she asked with her arms still wrapped around my neck.

I just shrugged, unsure of what to say really.

"Please talk to me," Tris begged, "We didn't have much time to talk the last time we met."

I wanted to tell her…I just didn't know how or what to say really. Anything that was scrambling around in my head couldn't be formed into a coherent thought. None that was good enough for her.

"I just…" I started to try to explain, "I hate…me."

"Why?" Tris asked softly.

"I should have just ran away with you," I scoffed bitterly, "this was a stupid idea…I'm a fucking idiot."

"No you're not!" Tris defended, "if it weren't for you…I never would have made it out of that lab four months ago. They would have caught us then if it weren't for you."

"Yeah," I replied, "too bad I haven't been much help since then."

"I trust you Eric," Tris said turning my face towards her, "I trust you…and I know how much being a true Dauntless is to you. Being brave and standing up for what's right…"

"Tris…" I said shaking my head, "I don't know how I can help you now…"

"You are helping," Tris comforted, "more than you know."

"How?" I demanded.

"Because you're proving to me that there's more to Dauntless than what Erudite believes," Tris explained.

I couldn't think much of that anymore. I wasn't even sure what Dauntless meant anymore. It didn't feel like it was enough.

Tris pulled me back into her arms only this time I buried my face into her neck.

"I believe in you Eric," Tris whispered to me, "I know you can do this…and that you're doing the right thing. It's just not the easy thing…"

"Tris Jeanine is going to send me after you," I confessed sadly rubbing her back gently; "they're sending me after all of you."

"Then we'll figure something out," Tris replied.

"You need to run," I commanded, "you need to get as far away from here as possible."

"I'm not leaving without you," Tris said backing away to look at my face again, "we could go."

I felt a familiar sorrow follow that statement; I took Tris's hands and placed it in the center of my chest. Her fingers traced of the small metal Fulminator, and she closed her eyes probably to stop the tears.

"I forgot…" she whispered.

"Yeah…" I replied placing my hand over hers on my chest, "So do I sometimes… otherwise I would come running to you."

"We'll find a way," Tris whispered but I could tell that I wasn't sure if she even believed herself.

"I'm going to die Tris," I stated hoping to not choke on my own words.

"No you're not!" Tris yelled trying to make herself believe it.

I placed my hand on the side of her face, she let her tears fall freely now…and so did mine.

"I won't let them," Tris choked out.

"It's ok," I whispered to her and placed my forehead on hers, "if I can get you out alive…I'll be ok."

"But I won't," Tris whimpered out.

"Tris…" I said despising myself for what I was going to do next but I had to do it, "I can't see you anymore… it's too much for the both of us. I'll do everything I can for as long as I can to keep you alive…but you need to forget about me."

Tris's eyes widened with shock and hurt as she shook her head, "Eric…please."

"I'm sorry…" I whispered to her, "more than you know. I despise myself for everything I've ever done…but you need to go."

Tris sat there breathing fast as she let go of my neck and stood up. Whatever she wanted to say was trapped in her throat as she paced around for a little bit. She glance at me every once in a while like she was going to say something but she never did. When she had finally given up, she ran to the opening throwing the cloth aside as she headed out back into the streets alone.


	5. Chapter 5

My stomach was in knots, I'm sure it was evident on my face that morning as we were loading up the trucks with supplies. All the dauntless were putting on gear and loading up guns to head out for our next mission. Today we were heading to Amity, to search for divergents. I told Tris to never tell me where she was hiding, I could only pray that we wasn't in the Amity farms but now a days I had little hope for anything really…

"Hey son!" Max called out, handing me a new device Jeanine had built to find Divergents, "C'mon time to go."

I took the device and strapped it to the other side opposite of the pistol that Jeanine had provided for me. It was an intricately designed gun specifically for me, a gift for saving Jeanine's life. Climbing into the truck I sat next to Max as we drove out towards the wall. The streets were mostly empty now days; people seemed to want to hide a lot more. Within a half hour we made it pass the wall into the territories of Amity.

It was so unfamiliar and alien to me, everything seemed so light and open. There were children running around playing, off in the distance was a dome like building with all mostly glass walls. It seemed nice…nothing like the cold and harshness of the Dauntless or Erudite compound. A secret part of me wondered what it would be like to live a simple life like Amity. My little brother Eli should be here, he wanted the simple life and did transfer to Amity… I hope I didn't see him while I was here.

As our trucks came crashing through their small wooden fence, the children began running away towards their parents. Out entrance was less then friendly, I felt bad for freaking the kids out. Still we stopped outside a large barn where a familiar woman was standing with a smile on her face. Johanna, head of Amity was waiting for us. The truck with Max and I stopped next to her as we got out.

"Gentlemen," Johanna said with a friendly nod, "Amity welcomes you. To what do we owe the pleasure?"

I started scanning the crowd who eyed us cautiously silently wondering where Eli was.

"This isn't really a social call, Johanna," Max explained approaching her.

"We're looking for Divergents," I explained to her glancing at the barn. i noticed briefly that there was something upstairs in the window that quickly dodged out of sight.

"I see," Johanna said with the same smile even though I could see it in her eyes she was nervous, "well, of course anything we can do to help."

"We need you to volunteer your faction to be tested," I replied and help up to her face.

" _Amity, one-hundred percent_ ," the robotic voice from the device confirmed.

"This is screening technology from Erudite," Max explained holding up his own.

"Now that Jeanine is heading up the council, the approval process just got a little easier," I added with a small grin.

"You're exceeding your jurisdiction," Johanna growled out of character.

"Now Johanna what happened to that Amity politeness?" Max asked raising an eyebrow, "The easy way or the hard way? It's up to you."

Johanna sighed in defeat, "alright, but under protest."

"Okay, we're good to go! Move out!" Max called out.

All the Dauntless began shoving the Amity towards the dome aggressively. It seemed useless to scare them all like they were; it was only raising the panic. Internally I was panicking too, I had to at least toy with the thought that Tris and the others could possibly be here. If they were…I would just have to find them first.

"You know something lady?" I started to say to Johanna, "You seem awfully stuck in that doorway."

I knew I had to keep up appearances, so I strode pass Johanna and looked around. There were several stables with horses all inside and a spiral staircase leading up stairs.

"What's up there?" I asked knowing that there was someone up there; I assumed that it would just be Johanna's family or something.

"Just my office," Johanna called from the doorway.

Casually I began walking down pass the stables looking at the horses. I had never been around a horse before; I always wanted to see one. As I was wasting time I heard a familiar voice scream out from up in Johanna's office.

"Hey!" it called out making my heart sink, "They're up here!"

Peter, I recognized that little son of a bitch's voice. There was no needing to ask who he was talking about. I sprinted towards the stairs while two Dauntless soldiers there were near Johanna followed me. Dammit…with these two here it was going to be harder to get Tris away.

At the bottom of the stairs I glanced up and saw Peter looking down at me.

"Hey Eric!" he called out, "They're up here! Come on, they're getting away!"

 _Good_ , I thought. I ran up the stairs past him and looked out the window. Tris, Four and Tris's brother Caleb were streaking towards the woods. The other two Dauntless soldiers were behind me already talking into a small radio strapped on their wrists.

"I got three on foot making a break towards the trees!" they barked into it.

I ran back down the stairs, the Dauntless were already piling into the trucks. I quickly grabbed onto the side of one as it was driving away. I could only watch and pray that they would run fast enough. They headed up the hill into the woods. The trucks wouldn't make it through the trees. So as we neared the edge I jumped off the truck and started running into the forest. Secretly I was holding back, I could run faster but I didn't. no one pulled out their guns to shoot yet, running like we were, jumping over trees and rocks, there's no way we could.

They were close to the train tracks, streaking across the glade as fast as they could as they could. Off in the distance I could hear a train rumbling towards us. It was coming towards them faster and faster. Now all the Duantless soldiers started pulling out their guns opening fire. They all missed of course…so did I. I didn't have to miss but I did. That was perfect, if they could make it pass the train tracks before the train came they could get away. In response they had opened fire back on us. They missed too; I secretly hoped that Tris was missing on purpose. I wondered if she was mad at me after our last encounter…

A sickened part of me quickly pushed that from my mind, my hands were tied. Max was a few yards away from me; the train was getting dangerously close. Four was still on the wrong side of the tracks. If he didn't make it to the other side of the tracks we would end up catching him.

 _Dammit Four, run!_

My heart was pounding like the trains upon the tracks. I didn't think he was going to make it. He finally turned his back on us and started bolting towards the other side of the track. I saw the worried look on Tris's face as the same thoughts ran through both our heads. God I missed her, even with the concerned look she looked gorgeous. It took everything I had to not run to her even with a speeding train rushing towards her.

At what appeared to be the very last second Four made it just in time for the train to go whizzing by as Tris, Four and her brother Caleb disappeared on the other side. I and a few dauntless tried in vain chasing the train but it was too fast for us as they got away. I growled frustrated as I slammed my gun into the ground. I was breathing heavily trying to regain my breath, my heart was still pounding. I wanted nothing more than to be running after that train and follow Tris. I hated myself for being jealous of Four…he was with her.

"Dammit!" Max yelled behind me along with a few other curses, kicking the rocks at his feet.

Slowly as the Dauntless regained their breath we all started walking tiredly back to the trucks. It was becoming later afternoon and it was a hot summer day. i had sweat dripping down my face and neck. I hated these uniforms they made us wear, I unzipped the jacket.

Back at the trucks, Max handed out water bottles and some packed sandwiches. We all sat around the trucks in the shades of the trees, for the first time in a long time it felt just like how I remembered. All us Dauntless sat around joking with each other and just talking. Talking about nothing really, Jason had a new girlfriend, Benny was telling a story about a drunken night he had over the weekend and ended up waking up in a bush, and Jeffery told us about how he had finally hit his goal of benching 220. No talks of divergents, Erudite or any of our missions form them. This is what I missed about Dauntless.

Max was off in near the truck on the phone, probably talking to Jeanine. He looked pissed; I knew he was frustrated with losing Tris. Once he got off the phone he came back over to us to rein us back in.

"Alright guys," he said approaching us, "c'mon back to Amity we need to finish testing everyone."

All the mindless chatter died down as everyone stood up, feeling refreshed and full from our quick lunch. We all piled back into the truck heading back to the main Amity grounds. There were a few windows that had been shot out, shards of glass were scattered on the ground. All the Amity inside looked panicked and shaken. They weren't used to the violence that we were exposing them too.

Max started barking orders, telling me to wait outside and keep an eye on all those who were let go. He took the rest inside to keep testing the others. I stood outside looking over those who were lucky enough. They all had to be one-hundred percent Amity. As I scanned through the crowd I heard someone in the back calling out my name.

"Eric!" I heard an all too familiar voice call out.

Through the crowd a similar burly guy like me came running up to me, my little brother Eli…

He ran up to me laughing happily throwing his arms around me, "hey brother! How you been man?"

I wasn't sure how to react… Faction before blood ran through my mind but Eli being outside meant that he must've passed the Divergent test.

"Hey man," I said patting him on his back gently.

"How you been bro?" Eli asked backing away, ignoring some strange glances from a few other Amity. Luckily there weren't many Dauntless nearby watching us.

"Fine," I struggled out, keeping my hard Dauntless leader gaze.

Seeing Eli here, smiling at me like he was made so many memories flood back to me. He and Eli were always close when we were younger, we told each other everything, and covered for each other with our parents when we needed to…he was the best friend I ever had. Now it just made me acutely aware of how alone I really felt.

"You sure?" Eli asked knowing me better than that. He glanced over to the dome where the Dauntless were prowling through menacingly, "Do you know what's going on?"

"Classified," I replied keeping it simply. There were so many things I wish I could say to him but couldn't.

"It's really good to see you Eric," Eli smiled comfortingly. He lifted up his wrists and started pulling at some strings to a leather bracelet, "here take this…"

He pulled off his leather bracelet and handed it to me, on it there was an inscription of fancy bold letters, _J, C, E, E._

Jed, Cole, Eric and Eli. I felt an unfamiliar twinge in my heart.

"I really miss all you guys," Eli comforted, "I wish we could spend more time together."

"This is yours," I said holding out the bracelet to him.

"But I missed your birthday," Eli replied shrugging, "it was last month, I tried to send you a birthday gift over the last years since you transferred but I don't think that the Dauntless gave em to you."

 _Fuck it_ , I thought to myself as I wrapped my arms around him again. He returned my hug gratefully.

He stayed there for a minute before he whispered, "if you need anything brother…let me know. I'll help you with anything, you were my brother before you were Dauntless and I was Amity."

I pulled out of the hug, I wanted to tell him everything right then and there… but now the Dauntless were starting to file back out of the dome. They must be done. I noticed Max's eyes immediately adverted to me.

"Back in line Amity," I said trying to not make it sound too harsh as I quickly shoved the bracelet into my pocket.

Eli wasn't stupid; his time in Erudite had helped with that. I knew he could tell what I was doing and what was going on. Still he just smiled at me and nodded as he wandered back over to his people.

"Alright we're done here!" Max called out loudly to everyone. There were a group of Amity all being lead over to the trucks with Dauntless holding onto their arms forcing them in.

"You guys, get all those people in the trucks," Max ordered and then turned to everyone else wrapping his arms around his back, "Thank you Amity for your cooperation…have a nice day."

Max was still angry…I could see it as he angrily got back into the truck with me behind him. The trip back to Dauntless was a quiet one. Max was consumed in his thoughts. I was exhausted and still sticky from sweat; I needed a shower and a drink.

"How did those two get away?" Max yelled frustrated.

"Tris and Four?" I asked for clarification, "they're divergents…it's like Jeanine said they're dangerous. We'll catch them."

"I just don't understand how every time when they're right in our grasps they get away from you," Max said now glancing at me accusingly.

I returned his hard gaze, not entirely sure of what he was asking, "If you got something to say…say it."

"I just don't understand how you can't catch them," Max replied shaking his head.

"Just in case you haven't noticed," I said irritated from the heat and everything else weighing me down, "I've been running around working my ass off to do every little thing that Jeanine wants me to do and I've got a fucking lightning bolt wired into my heart."

Max just sighed contemplatively.

"I want this just as much as you do," I declared boldly, "I will do whatever I can to survive…even if that means tearing up everything in my path to get them."


	6. Chapter 6

With the headphones blaring in my ears, I concentrated on punching the hard sandbag in front of me as hard as I could. My knuckles were getting sore, but at the same time it felt relieving to take out my aggressions on something. I had the leather bracelet tied to my wrist, it worked well for absorbing the sweat.

It had been a few days since we invaded Amity. There were seventeen people from Amity who had failed the Divergent test. Jeanine looked pleased with our outturn despite the fact that Tris had gotten away. She didn't ask questions about that and Max didn't volunteer to tell her. In that one moment I had seen a similar look of nervousness in his eyes.

I wondered if he felt the same as I did…that what we were doing was wrong. I doubted it but wondered…he was the one after all the taught me about the core values of Dauntless. Everything that Erudite was forcing us into was not what Dauntless was. Would it raise suspicion if I asked him?

I pushed all the thoughts from my mind as I just focused on punching out the sandbag only to be interrupted by a tap on my shoulder. I turned around startled with the my headphones still in my ears. It was Jed along with Cole standing back near the door. I pulled the headphones out.

"Yes?" I asked irritated.

"Nice to see you too brother," Cole chided glancing around the my private gym curiously.

"What do you guys want?" I demanded.

Jed held out a water bottle to me, I took bowing my head gratefully.

Cole didn't know about what Jed was doing for me, that is if he didn't tell him about it. I decided to keep this as secret as possible and opted out of telling Cole.

"I was thinking we could have dinner over hear tonight but seeing as you only have one dining room chair…" Cole said with a disapproving look.

"I already ate," I spat out downing the water bottles whole and sat down on a nearby bench.

"Well then we could just spend some time together," Cole shrugged, "and just talk I suppose."

"Why?" I demanded.

"Brother," Jed said glancing between Cole and I, "we just merely wanted to spend time with you. Is that so hard to believe?"

I shrugged and sighed exasperated. Jed and Cole were always closer growing up, being the older brothers. Then there was Eli and I, our extended family always called us the big two and the little two. Jed and Cole were all Erudite, doing homework, reading books. Eli and I on the other hand were always running around, climbing trees and Eli who had a thing for animals was always taking care of stray dogs or cats in the street with me.

"What's that?" Cole asked coming closer to me and indicated to my wrist.

"It's a necklace," I said sarcastically.

"Obviously…" Cole said raising an eyebrow impatiently, "J, C, E, E…what does that mean?"

"Eli gave it to me," I explained.

I now got a double puzzled look from Jed and Cole. Our father hardly ever had anything nice to say about Amity…or any other faction really. I could only imagine what our father would think of his 'dirty-tree hugging-hippie- disgrace of a son'. He had drilled these ideas into our heads when we were younger but it seemed that Eli and I just never agreed and left it all behind. Although judging by the looks on Jed and Eli's face I could see that they too were shocked.

"Eli?" Jed asked curiously and then asked slowly, "how is he?"

"Happy as ever," I said rolling my eyes but secretly happy for him. He chose the simple life.

"The letters," Cole said observing them, "they're out initials aren't they?"

"Duh," I said drinking more from the water bottle.

"You know mothers been asking about you," Cole said folding his hands behind his back, "She wants to see you."

"No," I replied quickly, "I'm a Dauntless…remember?"

"But you're loyal enough to wear a bracelet for us?" Cole pointed out.

I just growled in response, I suppose they had a point even if I didn't want to admit it. Still I had no intention of seeing my parents.

"Well, unfortunately you don't have a choice," Jed said giving me a knowing glance. He pulled out a envelope with an Erudite seal on it and handed it to me.

I took the envelope already dreading it. Tearing open the envelope open I pulled out the thick paper, on it in navy blue ink was an invitation; an invitation for the Dauntless and Erudite members to go to a formal dinner party tonight. Great…

"Mother will be there, she wants to see you," Jed implored.

"Dear old dad too?" I asked with a grimace.

Jed and Cole both bowed their heads, clenching their jaws.

"Father too," Cole confirmed.

"Max and the other Dauntless will be there as well," Jed tried to explain, "it's a free meal that isn't prepared in the microwave."

"Yeah and all I gotta do to go is put on a monkey suit right?" I said, I hated dressing up.

"Well I mean I know you'll look nice because we all will," Cole tried to jester and a small smirk.

Jed and I gave him the same look of contempt.

"You know…because we all look so alike?" Cole tried again.

"Is that supposed to be a joke?" I asked sarcastically.

Cole stood there shrugging awkwardly.

"Come brother," Jed said turning back to me, "Please…I'm asking you for me and for mother."

I felt a guilty tug in my stomach. My mom was good to me growing up, whenever I disobeyed as a kid he would comfort me after my dad ripped me a new one. I knew she wouldn't be too impressed in my new tattoos and piercings since she last saw me but a secret part of missed her too..

"Fine," I shrugged giving up, "I'll go."

"Excellent," Cole said happily, "now…go take a shower and…shave."

I instinctively ran my hand along my jaw over a growing beard; I had gotten lazy with it lately, "why I don't need to."

"Yes you do," Jed implored with a disapproving look that reminded me too much of our dads'.

After I had finally gotten Jed and Cole out of my filthy apartment, I took a shower, shaved and dug through my closet. I had torn up most of my clothes; it was hard to find something nice to wear. I hoped they could deal with black jeans and a nice jacket. In digging through my dresser I managed to find a navy bow tie. Good enough I guess.

As the clock began tucking down to the start of the party, I heard a small knock at the door about twenty minutes before I was going to leave. Curiously I made my way over to the door and looked through the peep hole…and saw nothing. I opened up the door to see a very precocious six year old at my door.

I smiled and laughed, Alexis stood before me with her hair curled nicely and in a black dress with a blue sash around her small waist.

"Hey beautiful," I smirked at her, "what you doing on my side of town?"

I noticed Max and Zara standing down the hall, Max looked just as uncomfortable in his suit as I did. Zara looked nice in a little black dress beaming over her daughter happily.

"Well I realized that I don't have a date for the dinner party tonight," she said trying to seem very grown up.

I laughed it was so typically her "A date huh? And how do mom and dad feel about you looking for a date?"

"They're fine with it, they like you," Alexis smiled cheekily.

I glanced at Max and Zara looking for what they thought. Zara was amused by it all and winked at me while Max just stood there impatiently.

Alexis started battering her little eyes at me, "So will you escort a lady to dinner?"

I chuckled, "It'd be my pleasure."

I held out my hand to her as she wrapped her small hand around a few of my big fingers. Together the four of us made our way downstairs.


	7. Chapter 7

"Stand on my feet," I told little Alexis as I pulled her to the dance floor.

"Stand on your feet?" Alexis giggled as she followed me.

"Yeah, c'mon kid," I invited her as I held out me arms to her.

She stood on my feet, barley heavier than a feather really, as she held onto one of my hands. I placed me other hand on her back keeping her steady and we swayed.

There was some melodramatic jazzy tune playing from the main stage. There was a small band to entertain us in the immaculate room. The walls were white with a series of tables all around with deep blue table clothes and blue draperies from the ceiling. For now, Dauntless and Erudite all alike were mingling amongst each other. I noticed Max with Zara on his arm, schmoozing up to some Erudite officials. He was all smiles and charisma now.

I had yet to see my brothers or my parents, not that I was really looking for them either. All I really cared about now really was little Alexis. If I were to die, I might as well enjoy what little time I had with my almost little sister. Through all this I was impressed with how Alexis was holding up. She was either being brainwashed by her parents or naïve to it all. I could only hope for the latter. She was innocent and young; she had the same light and bubbly nature like all six year olds. I hoped that when she does realize what is going on all around her that she won't be corrupted.

"Eric," Alexis asked turning her small face up to me.

"Yeah?" I smiled back at her.

"Why don't you have a girlfriend?" Alexis questioned.

Her curiosity surprised me, "Uh… I don't know. No girls worth my time, besides I'm here with you."

"Mama thinks you're lonely," Alexis replied with a concerned look, "she thinks if you had a girl you'd be happy."

"Yeah…" I replied, I couldn't disagree, "Probably."

"I could help you find a girlfriend," Alexis said with her cheeky grin, "What about all the other Dauntless? Where are they?"

I felt my heart skip a beat. I wonder what Max was telling her about these kind of things and if it was really my place to tell her anything. From what I heard the other Dauntless took refuge with the Candor. Jeanine called them traitors, but just so long as they didn't get in the way they wouldn't be harmed. I knew that one wouldn't last for much longer.

"The other dauntless are back at the compound kid," I decided to give a passive answer, "they didn't wanna help out with Erudite so they stayed in Dauntless."

"We should go back and find a girl for you," Alexis smiled, "I want to jump off the train and go down the hole to get in. Daddy told me all about it."

"You're too little kid," I chuckled; the idea of watching Alexis jump off the train onto the rooftop was terrifying, "you won't make the first jump."

"No I'm not!" she declared with her big attitude, "I can do this! I want to be Dauntless and I want you to show me how."

"I don't really know if I'm the best person to teach you to be Dauntless kid," I replied unsure now overlooking her small face. I wonder if my parents had seen me here yet.

"Oh course you are!" Alexis squealed, "Papa was always going on about how you were the top in your initiate class and how you're the best Dauntless ever. Daddy thinks that you'll be leader of Dauntless one day."

Huh…me the leader huh? That was something that I couldn't picture, Max was the ideal leader. He could follow orders like a Dauntless should, he had the skills to be a leader and take control over an entire faction. I couldn't picture myself doing that anymore.

"Will you show me how to fight?" Alexis continued to ask.

"Now why would anyone want to fight a little girl like you?" I asked shaking my head to her.

"They will when I become top initiate in my training class!" Alexis said confidently.

I laughed smiling at her that was the kinda of confidence that would push her far when she does go to Dauntless. Except she was six, and wasn't due for her choosing ceremony for another twelve years. I couldn't even picture to next week.

"Eric!" a long lost voice called out from behind me.

The sound of that voice immediately made my heart jump up to my throat. I turned around as Alexis jumped off my feet but held onto my hand. The familiar woman, with flowing sandy blonde hair like mine and sparkling blue eyes like mine ran up to me. My mom practically ran up to me wrapping her arms around me. She hugged me more tightly that ever before, I awkwardly wrapped my arms back around her.

"Hey mom…" I said slowly suddenly feeling sheepish.

"This is your mama?" Alexis asked grinning up at her.

My mom was beaming, "Yes! And who might be this pretty little lady."

"Um…this is- she's-," I started to try to explain unable to put any coherent thought into words.

"Alexis!" she squealed happily, "I'm Max's daughter."

"Oh well it's nice to meet you sweetheart," my mom smiled happily and then turned back to me.

Behind her was Cole and Jed and on Jed's arm was his girlfriend Beth. From the other direction, Max and Zara started heading towards us.

"Mama! Papa! This is Eric's mama," Alexis explained happily running up to her parents.

"Really?" Max smiled pumping out the charisma, "Please to meet you, I'm Max this is my wife Zara."

"Hello," my mom greeted shaking both their hands hand, "my name is Katherine."

"Quiet an amazing boy you got here Katherine," Max nodded glancing between us all.

"Ah doesn't look like much of a boy anymore," Katherine replied glancing at me over, "Look at you so grown up and so strong."

"And here I was thinking you hated the piercings in my forehead and the tattoos on my neck," I replied before I really thought it out.

The look on my mom's face made me relive that guilty feeling in the pit of my stomach. Even Jed and Cole sent me a disappointing look.

"Sorry…" I mumbled shrugging.

"It's fine Eric," Katherine replied happily rubbing my shoulders, "I'm just happy to see you, I've missed my boys."

"Will you eat dinner with us?" Alexis asked looking up to Katherine and my brothers.

"Well actually," Katherine replied now looking to me, "Eric, I need to tell you that-."

"That what?" I demanded perhaps a little too harshly knowing that it couldn't be good."

"That Jeanine has invited our family to eat with her," a stern cold voice came up from behind Katherine.

My father came up behind her placing his hand on her shoulder. He seemed to tower over all of us. He seemed like a terror standing next to little Alexis as if he could easily squash her with one step. He was taller than me and all my brothers. His face was sterner than all of us. He was getting old; I could see it in his face. It only made him look more menacing as his brown eyes were getting darker and more serious with the years. His jaw was constantly clenched and his graying hair was pushed back perfectly.

"Jeanine wants us to sit with her in her private dining room," he said in his typical monotone voice.

"Ah I wanna sit with Eric," Alexis whined.

"Lexi, stop Eric needs to spend time with his family," Zara replied holding onto Alexis.

"You must be Richard," Max said holding out his hand to my father, "I'm Max…Leader of Dauntless."

"Pleasure to meet you Max," Richard said robotically shaking his hand.

I never painted a nice picture of my father to Max, I was curious as to what he was thinking about right now.

"I was just telling Katherine what an amazing man your son is," Max explained beaming at me.

"I wouldn't know," Richard replied sternly looking to me, "He transferred to dauntless."

"And couldn't be happier," I said loudly than I needed to with a sarcastic smile.

"Richard please…" Katherine said quietly while everyone around us bowed their head awkwardly.

"Isn't that all that matters? That Eric's happy?" Alexis small voice piped up.

It was a curious thing to see Alexis who was a good four feet shorter than Richard. I remember when I was young and seeing him tower over me was intimidating. Alexis wasn't scared, even under Richards' hard stern gaze she didn't buckle. Although I wanted to punch him in the face for looking at her like he did wanted to squish her.

"Isn't that the whole point of the faction system?" Alexis continued, "To find out who you really are? Eric's Dauntless."

Oddly enough Richard flashed her an entirely fake smile, "Yes he is young lady."

"C'mon Lexi," Max said clenching his jaw, I could tell he probably liked my father as much as I did, "Dinners going to be served soon. Nice to meet you all."

Max led them all away towards a table.

"Bye Eric," Alexis smiled up at me and waved me off.

"See ya beautiful," I smiled at her returning the wave.

When they were gone it was just Jed, Cole, my parents and I all standing around with absolutely nothing to talk about.

"They seem really nice," Katherine nodded trying to appease the moment.

"Come on," Richard said taking Katherine's arm, "let's go. Jeanine will be waiting."

Together Richard and Katherine led the way while Jed, Beth, Cole and I all followed like sheep.


	8. Chapter 8

There wasn't much else to hear other than the sound of forks hitting the plates. We were served an extravagant six course meal. I couldn't help but wonder where Tris was and wondered if she had something to eat. I couldn't stop thinking about her, I wondered where she was and if she was ok. I wonder if she missed me or if she just hated me now.

"So Eric," Katherine asked sitting across from me, "how is life at Dauntless?"

"Fine," I mumbled out, "Although I haven't had much time to go back to Dauntless since I got my nice apartment from Jeanine."

"You guys should really come see it," Cole said giving me a sideways glance.

"Let me guess," Richard said looking up at me in between bites, "still leave your clothes all over the floor?"

I sighed clenching onto my fork trying to decide to say what was on my mind of just smile and lie.

"Nope," Cole piped up, "Not at all."

"I'd love to come see your apartment Eric," Katherine smiled warmly at me.

I wasn't totally opposed to the idea of spending time with my mom; however I didn't want her to see my destroyed apartment and that would take a good day or two to clean up.

"So what do you do at Dauntless?" Katherine pressed on smiling, "What is life like? What are your jobs?"

"Dear," Richard said trying to calm her down.

Of course, good ol' dad steamrolling her like he always does and trying to control her.

"What? I'm just curious," Katherine shrugged looking around the table.

"Imagine that," I said giving her a small playful grin and winking at her.

She beamed at me happily, her smile reminded me of that one time where she helped me study for a test back in eighth grade. I was failing at social studies miserably and ended up getting a 87 on my test, although the way she smiled at me and went on about how proud of me she was you'd think I had gotten 100.

"Well before I left," I said deciding to try to please my mother and speak to her, "I was training the initiates. I put them through the different physical trainings exercises and then help them through their fear landscapes."

"I've always been curious about those fear landscapes," Beth said looking over to me, "how do they work?"

"There's this serum that Jeanine designed," I said glancing up at her, she returned a small grin to me as I explained, "it stimulates fear and creates a landscape that you need to get through in order to pass."

"And how do you pass?" Katherine questioned sipping on her wine.

"You have to control your heart beat and your breathing," I explained thinking back to my two fear landscapes and glanced at the man across the table from me who was the source for one of them, "you have to accept that you're afraid…that's the first step really. Then you just learn to deal with what's in front of you, how you respond to it and get through it. That's what helps them grow."

"Sounds like you've really found a way through yours," Katherine replied and then asked the question I was praying she wouldn't, "what are your fear landscapes?"

Everyone seemed to stop eating and all stare at me now, waiting for an answer.

"Uh…" I said trying to come up with something, "Ya know…heights, spiders…the final test to get into Erudite."

I meant that last one as a joke and it worked. Everyone, except Richard, laughed. Richard just clenched his jaw and poked at his steak, I could tell he didn't find my joke amusing at all. Even Jeanine managed a chuckle; the mood seemed to lighten more. I guess this wasn't completely terrible…it was only now that I started to realize that I kinda missed my mother and my brothers.

"Goodness I was a wreck when I had to take that final test," Beth said shaking her head and looked around to all of us, "there was not enough coffee in the world to keep me awake. I spent so many nights staying up studying right before the test that I actually over slept and woke up with only 10 minutes to get down to the testing room."

"Ah yes," Jeanine's calming voice finally joined the conversation, "I remember seeing you scamper in to the testing room in your slippers looking like you had just rolled out of bed."

"Terrible," Beth said in between giggles. Beth was pretty cute, I was happy Jed had a good girl like her.

"Did you find any divergents Eric?" Richards loud voice boomed over us sending us back down to awkward silence. He didn't even bother to look up from the steak he was carving into.

Katherine bowed her head taking another sip of her wine, Jeanine's eye brows raised as she glanced at me.

"What?" I asked unable to really think of anything else to say.

"Did you find any divergents?" Richard repeated now looking up at me.

I swallowed a lump in my throat and took a big gulp out of my wine glass, "Yeah…I found one."

"Eric reported him," Jeanine reported glancing to Richard, "we picked him up the following day."

"What about the other two…" Richard questioned.

My grip on my win glass was tightening. Suddenly in the draperies behind Jeanine a small figure appeared. He looked like a kid, dressed in what looked like a white kitchen jacket, holding a bottle of wine. He couldn't be older than 15, his right eye was purple and swollen. He had a sullen look on his face not daring to look at anyone as Jeanine, not even bothering to look at him, held out her wine glass to him to refill. Shakily he began pouring.

"What other two?" I asked, forcing myself to stop staring at the kid.

"Tobias Eaten and Beatrice Prior," Richard said so coldly you'd think he was talking about a plague.

"Tris she never-," I started to say and then quickly stopped myself I didn't know what to say, "I mean Beatrice- she's- she was a stiff through the whole training. I kicked her out once and she just came back on her own."

"Then why didn't you make her leave?" Richard questioned.

Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed the kid was limping as he moved to Cole next who was seated next to Jeanine. Once again, shakily he filled Cole's glass.

"It didn't seem like the right thing to do," I declared, there was no way I was going to let my father judge my choices in Dauntless. He had no fucking clue what Dauntless was about, "I kicked Tris- Beatrice out, and she came back on her own because she was strong enough to stand up for herself and prove that she has what it takes to be dauntless."

"However clearly," Richard said downing the rest of his wine, "she wasn't a dauntless…she was divergent."

I bowed my head, gripping my glass even tighter. Katherine kept fiddling with her steak not looking up. I glanced up at the kid, he had moved onto Jed and then to Beth who held up her glass to him.

"Thank you," she chirped when the glass was filled.

Jeanine's eyes seemed to change to a darker blue while all gazes snapped to Beth giving her mixed looks.

I glanced up at the kid, and for a moment when he got to me he glanced at my face as well. However it was only for a moment, his one eye was swollen and purple while the other was sunken in and had dark circles underneath. He held out the wine bottle to me, offering me more.

"No thanks man," I said raising my half empty glass to him, "I'm good."

The kid, not even looking at me nodded in understanding limped slowly to the other side of the table

"I just don't understand how a young girl from Abnegation could fool you," Richard replied holding up his glass impatiently for the kid, "let alone Andrew and Natalie Prior's daughter."

"She's dangerous to all of us," Jeanine said coolly and glanced at the kid, "they all are"

The kid…he's divergent. My hand were clenching onto the glass wine glas harder.

"Eric…" Jed whispered quietly to me.

"Regardless…" Richard said glancing to me, "everyone regales me with tales of how you're this amazing Dauntless leader and yet you let the most obvious target slip right under your nose."

The boy was now onto Richard still holding up his glass for him but kept is menacing glare on me. IF he was shaking before he was positively trembling now.

"Then again…" Richard continued, "You never could pass a single Erudite test so I guess I shouldn't be surprised that you're a disgrace to Dauntless too."

Without thinking much I took the wine glass in hand, slamming it down onto the table placing my hand flat over the shattered glass. The crack seemed a lot louder than it needed to be, I felt the glass cut into my hand. Beth and Katherine screamed at the crack of the glass, the boy who was serving Richard jumped when I slammed the glass and ended up pouring the wine directly into his lap.

"You fucking bastard!" Richard bellowed loudly jumping out of his seat.

The kids eyes doubled in size as he staggered backwards.

"Rick!" Katherine screamed.

"Rick, I think you've had enough wine for the evening," Jeanine purred sipping her glass seeming unfazed by all the commotion. She turned her gaze over to me.

"Eric," she called.

I tore my gaze away from my father, still feeling my blood boiling and oozing out of my hand which was still resting on top of the broken glass. I knew what before she told me what she was going to tell me to do.

"Take care of him for me," she said indicating to the kid, "I have no use for uncoordinated divergents."

"Yes son," Richard growled angrily, the veins in his head were throbbing and his face was red. He was drunk, "Show us what it's like to be dauntless."

"Fine!" I screamed angrily and then turned to my mom who had tears running down her face as she kept her gaze down, "You wanna know what I do in Dauntless mom? Pay close fucking attention!"

I was pissed and not thinking clearly enough. I threw my chair back stalking over to the kid grabbing him by his jacket and dragging him back behind the draperies. I threw him to the floor, he tumbled over easily. I was just so fucking mad and angry as I started taking it all out on him. He whimpered and cried out in pain, I knew they others could hear me on the other side of the drapes. I jumped on top of him punching him in his throat and face over and over. What the fuck did I care if I hurt this divergent? Tris was the only fucking person I cared about now. I was going to do what I had to do to survive in order to keep Tris alive even if that meant getting blood on my hands. That's what I was here for.

I gave him a matching black eye on his other eye, and broke his nose which was pouring out blood. He was losing conciseness, I stood up over him kicking him in the ribs a few times. With all the anger and frustration I had in my I gave one final kick hard to his head…and he stopped breathing.

I stood there looking down at the bloodied mess I had made breathing harshly half from exhaustion and half from the reality of what I had just done setting it in. On the other side of the drapes, everything was deathly quiet. My cut hand was covered in my blood and his. A few strands of my hair had fallen out into my face and I was suddenly sweaty. Now on my feet I was aware of how tipsy that wine had made me…it was just enough to loosen me up.

Out of the corner of my eye I noticed the drapes moving I glanced up…and felt as if the world had come crashing down on my making my heart and stomach sink. Alexis's small face was glancing through the drapes; she looked terrified as a few tears fell from her eyes.

Fuck, no, no, no. Shit.

"Alexis," I said taking a step towards her regretting it instantly.

Alexis threw the drapes closed as she ran off in her little high heels clanking away from me.

I gave the dead divergent one last kick to the stomach seeing as he wouldn't feel it now anyways.


	9. Chapter 9

My hands were a disaster. There were cuts all over them. On my knuckles, the palms, all my fingers, they were a bloodied mess. I didn't bother cleaning them, I didn't deserve to. If I got an infection they would have to cut my hands off, then I'd never get to shot a gun or throw a punch again. The scar that that stupid, abnegation, stiff had given to me when she pelted the fucking knife at my face now matched with several others now.

I had broken every single fucking mirror in my apartment. I punched out the one on the living room, the large one in the mirror, the one in my bathroom, the spare bathroom, my bedroom, the spare bedroom. I shattered them with my bare hands and tore them apart with my bare hands. I threw all the glass shards into my bed and left them there. I didn't sleep that night, I couldn't. My mind was racing a million miles a second, besides I didn't deserve a nice comfy bed. If I was going to sleep I would suffer through it on a bed of glass all fucking night.

I couldn't stand to look in the mirror. I was to disgusted with myself that looking at my own reflection was infuriating. I wasn't sure how I was going to face my brothers, looking at them was basically like looking in a fucking mirror. I just paced around my apartment adding more holes to the wall and collecting shards of glass to add to my bed. I couldn't see straight or think straight, my heart was pounding a mile a minute and I couldn't stop sweating. I felt sick.

I don't remember much else from the rest of the night. I woke up acutely aware of the pain in my back. I reached up to my forehead that was throbbing. Fucking wine…always gave me a fucking headache the next day. I glanced down at my bed…oh yeah, the glass. I sat up feeling the glass ripping through my sweat pants and imbedded into my bare back. I welcomed the sting from the cuts. My back was radiating pain; I could feel my blood dripping down back. I got up letting a few pieces fall to the floor as I went to the bathroom. There was nothing but a big grey slab in the wall where a mirror once was.

I turned on the impressive shower turning on the water as hot as I could. Soon the whole bathroom was nice and steamy; this was the best way to make my hang over headaches evaporate. Pulling off the rest of my clothes I stepped into the shower. The scalding water on my cuts forced me to grit my teeth and growl through it. I placed my bloody hands on the wall, bowing my head down letting the hot water cascade down my body. On the white floor, swirling pools of red sank down the drain washing away my blood. The shower managed to extinguish a few stray pieces of glass as they fell onto the floor.

I ran my hands over the Fulminator in my chest. In brushing my hands over the cool metal balls I could almost feel the wires in my chest snaking down, constricting around my heart. It hurt. I was going to die. I wanted to die. I deserved to die. Once I had Tris out of Jeanine's hands…then what? To me, suicide was the ultimate signs of cowardice. I thought back to Al, when he threw himself over the chasm. I wonder if he felt as shitty as I did right now. I never agreed with suicide, I could practically hear Max's loud voice in my ears, ' _Dauntless NEVER give up!_ '. Fucking Dauntless…what the hell did that mean now anyways? Jeanine was deteriorating everything. Dauntless was a way of life…and now I felt as if it meant nothing. Which meant that I meant nothing; I was nothing.

I felt slightly better after a shower. The skin on my back was still tender; I gently threw on a soft cotton shirt. I walked out into the disaster of the main room of my apartment. It was really all just the living room, dining room and kitchen all in one with one large glass wall overlooking the whole city. It was a bright clear day outside, I wondered what time it was but I had smashed the clock that hung near the TV at some point.

I noticed a manila folder near my front door. Fucking perfect, I knew what that meant. I walked over to it picking it up and ripping off the top. I pulled out the files not at all surprised. They matched the ones that they had given to me before we went to Amity. On the top it had _Candor_ written across the top. The file had a long drawn out plan, we were invading candor next. The file even explained that they had included a new weapon for us. Of course they didn't explain what the weapon was done or anything. All it said was that I had to report to duty tonight at ten o' clock and head to Candor with Max. Fucking Awesome…

The night had come all too soon. I sat on my torn up blue couch watching the sun set wondering how many people I would kill tonight. How much more blood was I going to get on my hands. As the sun bid the city good bye, the unforgiving night was on. I strapped my pistol to my hip, put on all the protective hear and the blue and black jacket. The cut on my back were still fresh and even with the cotton shirt on, the friction was tearing into the fresh flesh painfully. Still I made my way downstairs to the garage alone. I ran into a few of the other Dauntless who greeted me excitedly for the new mission. I ignored them and tried my best to not punch them the fuck out.

They all seemed to catch on that I was angry so they all ended up leaving me alone..

"Here," one of the leaders said handing me the new weapon.

It was big and heavy, whatever was inside these gun was dangerous.

"What the fuck is it?" I demanded looking to him.

"Not sure really," the leader said with a sadistic smile, "but I'm sure as hell excited to find out."

Everyone seemed to be examining the new guns curiously or were getting ready by doing jumping jacks, stretching or doing some practice drills with each other. It worried me that no one knew what these guns did and no one seemed to care.

Max was climbing up the railing on the side of the truck and stood over us.

"Everyone listen up," Max commanded.

Everyone stopped and watching him, we all seemed to be sharing the same solemn expressions but none were as bitter looking as me.

"I know some of you are tired," Max said looking around to everyone but seemed to stop and kept his gaze lingering on me, "I know that you miss our home. I know that this mission is stressful and frustrating at times…but I want each and every one of you to know that what we're doing here today is creating a better future. Dauntless was always about doing what's right…and doing what's right is ensuring that our children and their children have a safe world to grow up in. My daughter…Alexis…"

Why don't you just fucking stab me and twist the knife Max? I though bitterly feeling my heart constrict, I looked away from him hoping no one noticed the tears forming in my eyes.

"My Daughter she's…she reminds me so much of all of you as children," Max laughed.

A few of the others did, majority of everyone here were Dauntless born. Max was older than all of us, he did know most us them since they were kids.

"She asks me about what it's like to be a true member of Dauntless," Max continued on, "I tell her of our bravery… I tell her of the bonds we make with one another…I tell her of our duty of the orders given to us that drives us to make sacrifices. Sacrifices to create a better world for all of us, I know at times the world can seem like a dark and unforgiving place."

Maybe I should've worn some kind of gloves. My hands were still red from all the cuts and some dried on blood. I clenched my fists and felt some of the cuts reopen themselves.

"That is exactly why we are here," Max continued, I could feel his gaze on my while I glared at the floor, "we're here to ensure a world where everyone is free from the corruption and dangers out there wanting to destroy everything we have built."

Everyone huh?

"I am proud of each and every one of you," Max explained loudly, "I look at all of you and see my sons and my daughters. We may not be family but we are a faction."

Everyone around me all muttered the same thing together, "Faction before blood."

"I know that all of you will do me proud tonight," Max concluded nodding his head approvingly, "don't forget why we are here and why we are doing this."

With that he jumped off the truck and clamored in on one side. Everyone began heading into the trucks, all piling in. I got into the passenger seat next to Max, staring straight ahead. The large garage door was open revealing the dark quiet night, I felt like we were about to enter a war zone. Max glanced over at me and stared for a moment. He sighed and started the truck and drove out into the night. The tension between the two of us was thick and layered.

I was feeling brave, "Do you really believe all that?"

"Don't you?" Max muttered keeping his eyes on the road.

The streets were empty and foreboding, it was so fucking quiet.

"Alexis told me what she saw," Max said turning to me.

Feeling brave I faced him, but said nothing.

"I told her that that is what a real Dauntless does. They follow orders," Max explained glancing form the road to me, "You're creating a better world for her to grow up in. When she's old enough she will understand and she will respect you."

I turned my gaze back to the road clenching my fists, embracing the sting.

"What the hell happened to your hands?" Max demanded looking down at them.

I gritted my teeth and shoved my hands into my pocket not daring to open my mouth right now.

"I'm worried about you son," Max said a little more softly.

"Don't," I replied coldly.

"That thing they put in your chest…" Max said slowly, "what is it?"

"What?" I scoffed looking at him now, "you mean they didn't tell you?"

"No," Max growled coldly, "but we all have em now."

"What?" I demanded loudly, "what the fuck do you mean we all have them now?"

Now Max was looking worried, "Jeanine…she put one in all of us. I have one, Zara, all the leaders, all the Dauntless. They put them in us today; they didn't bother telling you since you already had it."

What the fuck...

"Does Alexis?" I asked fearing the answer.

"No," Max shook his head nervously, "they didn't put em in the kids but what the fuck is it? What do they do?"

Fucking Jeanine…this was her insurance policy. She would be prepared to kill all of us if she needed to. All it would take would be the push of one button.

"Eric what do they do?" Max demanded.

"Nothing," I spat back.

"Bullshit! Tell me what they do!" Max yelled at me.

"What they do is kill us all with the click of one button," I said bluntly.

The tension festered like wilder fire. Max stared at me in disbelief, even laughed breathlessly. He kept shaking his head, he probably didn't believe me. Fuck it, it wasn't my fucking problem if the other dauntless died. What good had they done me? They turned me into a fucking monster, I hope Jeanine killed them. I hope Jeanine killed every single one of us.


	10. Chapter 10

I could already hear the gun shots and glass breaking up on top of the building. There was a team up on the roofs attacking from the top, using the new guns. Max and I stood outside the large building of Candor. The balance symbol was painted into the side of the wall. Once everyone outside was ready, Max lead us all in. Together we stormed through the entrance of Candor.

It was late at night, but soon enough there were Candors running down the stairs screaming. A door to the left opened, it was the other 'traitor' Dauntless. I noticed Tori first, her eyes widened when we saw me. So they are hiding out in Candor.

"Open fire!" Max ordered holding up his gun.

Everyone raised their guns and began shooting them all down. It didn't kill them; instead they all fell to the floor limply. The bodies crashed to the floor until there was 'traitor' Dauntless and the Candor stopped coming. A few people from both Dauntless and Candor side were still stirring however. An older man from the Candor side grabbed for his arm. I approached him looking at his arm…it looked like a Fulminator but smaller. The little metal balls were implanted in his skin; he looked up at me terrified.

"Clear!" Max called out as he made is way over to the Dauntless side, "Eric, grab him and any other Candor that's awake."

I grabbed onto the man's shirt pulling him up, holding onto his shirt. Max went to the 'traitor' Dauntless side. He grabbed onto the few that were still awake, I recognized the guy Max gabbed he gave me my neck tattoos. Son of a bitch; if looks could kill the look on the 'traitor' Dauntless' face would strike me dead. They all shot me venomous looks.

"Go put them all in that room over there," Max said indicating to a pair of double doors, "Mark! Go grab the cable ties, put em on their ankles and wrists."

I pulled the Candor man along into the room like I was ordered. I shoved him to the ground while Mark came back with the cable ties. We started gathering anyone that was awake and putting them into the room together.

"Eric!" Max called out, "Go sweep the floors, Kyle, Stephen, Zack go with him!"

Great, I get a little band of followers. The four of us went back out into the main room. A few of the Dauntless were pushing the 'traitor' Dauntless and Candor bodies out of the way. As we ran up the a few flight of stairs, I heard possibly the worst sound that could be heard right now just down the hall.

"Because we're divergents," the same soothing voice rang clear as a bell in my ears, "c'mon, I need your help to open this. Uriah I need your help!"

My little followers and I turned down another hallway…and there she was. Oddly enough the one thing that ran through my mind at that moment was how I wished I could grab her and run to the top of our bell tower and kiss her all night. But no, here we were, with a gun in my hand pointed at her with three of my followers hunting her down like rabbits.

"Well look who decided to show up," I said blinking away tears as I strode towards her with Uriah looking petrified at me.

She spun around and a little glimmer in her eyes ignited. It took everything within me not to run up to her and wrap my arms around her. God I wanted her arms around me so badly.

"It's really good to see you again," I confessed shifting my eyes to the men behind me.

Tris glanced past me to the other three men who stood a few feet away with their guns pointed at her and Uriah.

"Take Uriah down stairs," I ordered from the three others, "I'll take her."

The guys followed without question grabbing onto Uriah and taking him back down the stairs. Once Tris and I were finally alone we both ended up just throwing out arms around each other.

She gripped onto my cut up back harshly, but I hardly felt it. In fact all the stress and anger of the last few days just seemed to melt away. It was like having an immense weight lifted off my shoulders. I could hardly believe the effect she had over me, but I knew we didn't have much time. She buried her face into my neck sending shivers down my spine while I rubbed the small of her back.

"Here," I said pulling out my pistol and handing it to Tris while I kept my other hand on her waist.

Without question she took it and slid it into her waist band and pulled her shirt over it.

"Go upstairs and go hide, lie on the floor and don't get up," I whispered urgently as I started to walk away.

"No!" Tris cried out quietly as ran back to me, "They have Four down there…they know that I'm here."

"Tris…" I said feeling my heart breaking, "if I take you downstairs…"

"It's ok," she whispered and got closer, "there's more of our Dauntless on their way. They'll be here soon."

I sighed, I could tell by their death glares directed at me, my old friends and faction were less than happy to see me. It would do me no good but it would them.

"You need them to trust you," Tris said holding out her wrists and noticing come cable ties sticking out of my pocket.

I shook my head exasperated, but there was no easy way out no matter what way you look at it.

I took a cable tie from my pocket and glanced at the gun hidden under her shirt, "okay…but do whatever you have to do to get out."

I stepped closer to her, wrapping the cable tie around her wrists but keeping it loose enough that she could easily slip out if she need to. With her face only a few inches away from mine, I noticed how chapped her lips looked. In fact she just looked exhausted although I was sure I didn't' look much better.

"Eric, what happened to your hands?" Tris noticed looking up with concerned eyes.

The memories of the dinner party and the boy I murdered flashed through my mind. I shook my head, "Nothing…I'll tell you later. C'mon we gotta go."

I lowered down my hands hoping that she wouldn't have enough time to really examine them. I held onto her wrists gently as I led her down the stairs. Her eyes shifted between the bodies on the floor. The tears in her eyes were gathering. I placed my hand on her lower back.

"I'm sorry…" I whispered to her not knowing that else to say.

Tris remained silent, only making me think that she hated me. Why wouldn't she?

As we got down to the main floor, I put my hand back on her wrists and took her into the room. There were a handful of Divergents sitting on the floor looking terrified. The Dauntless were standing around with their guns pointed at them.

"Well look who it is," Max said when he saw us.

Tris tensed as Max approached her and then glanced up at me with an approving look.

"Sit her over there," Max ordered pointing to the rest of them.

I walked Tris over to them and pulled her down to sit. I wandered around looking at the others wondering what Jeanine had planned for them. Max came over to me handing me the device to test if they were Divergent or not.

"Alright folks," Max began walking over them, "Nothing to be nervous about, just a little routine inspection. Then we can all go back to our business."

He stepped in front of Uriah looking at him as if he were dirst and held up the scanner.

"Divergent," is reported showing 90% dauntless and 10% Erudite, "ten percent."

Tris looked up at me, I saw it out of the corner of my eyes. She was begging me to help.

"Shit," Max grinned sadistically, "you're almost normal…that's boring."

Before I had time to react Max pulled out his gun and but a bullet straight between his eyes.

"That's not part of the mission," I spat at him, "Jeanine wants them alive."

"So what?" Max asked, "As far as I'm concerned the rest of them are still outlaws."

"Okay," I replied trying to avoid Tris's gaze, "Let's just wrap this up quickly. The others are gonna be awake soon."

"You're turn," Max indicated to another person on the floor.

I glanced down at her, she was just a kid. A little girl in a while night gown and sunshine blonde hair, Max couldn't be serious could he?

I felt a calming dread spread over me. _This is it,_ I decided. If Max was going to force me to shoot her, I would shoot him first. Even with the idea in my head, I wasn't prepared to kill Max…he was like a father to me. I subtly glanced around the room; there were six other Dauntless in the room right now. I would have to take them out too, Tris had my pistol and she could easily get out of the cable ties. We were going to have to kill all the Dauntless in the room and then run like hell. I could only pray that she would run with me.

I glanced quickly at Tris, hoping she would get my silent message as I crouched down in front of her. She still had a baby face…kind of like Alexis. The cable ties were digging into her wrists painfully.

"Hi sweetie," I said to her forcing a smile. Although to her I was sure I looked more demented that nice.

"I should have…" she started to whimper.

I held up the scanner to her face, "Divergent, forty percent."

"I guess that makes you an outlaw too kid," I retorted looking up at Max darkly.

Max stared back at me…waiting.

"The lady said that I shouldn't have…" she whimpered in between small sobs, "the lady said that I shouldn't have come downstairs."

I clocked the gun into place but didn't raise it yet, she jumped as the bullet clicked into place. I glanced at Tris quickly and kept my focus on Max out of the corner of my eye. Just one clean shot would be all it would take. _Sorry Max…_

"Well then I guess you should have listened," I replied…however before I even had time to raise my gun to Max, Tris beat me too it.

All to quickly the room exploded with chaos. Tris aimed for Max…the bullet shot hit him clean in the face. His body fell to the floor…and all the chaos seemed to stop. The barrage of bullets around me didn't even register as I felt a cold emptiness consume me as seeing Max's dead body. Suddenly the vision of him training me and pushing me over the ledge came flooding back to me like a tidal wave. Then I thought of Alexis…her father was dead.

I didn't have much time to contemplate anything else as the Six other dauntless started to open fire on Tris. Reacting quickly I stayed kneeling quickly pulling the little girl behind me as I turned my gun on them taking out two of them while Tris managed to take out the other four.

"Eric!" Tris called holding her hand out to me, "Come on!"

I was still kneeling on the floor; I glanced over at Max's dead body again. A pool of dark blood quickly gathered around his head. I felt a gaping hole in my chest forming and I wasn't even sure how to react to it.

"Eric!" Tris said kneeling in front of me placing both her hands on the side of my face.

Seeing her hazel eyes gazing at me and her warm soft hands on my face brought back some clarity back.

"Eric," she said softly running her thumb along my bottom lip, "we have to go…"

"Tris…" I said feeling my mind going numbingly blank.

She threw her hands around me holding me tightly as she whispered, "we have to go."


	11. Chapter 11

Holding onto my hand, Tris pulled me up and pulled me back towards the main room. We stopped outside the main door, on the other side we could hear gun fire, and people running and screaming. The other Divergents that we had caught had backed away from us against the opposite wall. They all seemed to be holding their breath as if waiting for us…for me to turn my attention back to them.

"That must be the other Dauntless," Tris explained as we waited patiently.

I stood there, my breathing was shallow. I kept looking over at Max's body. He had always been such a strong man, I kept waiting for him to get up and turn on Tris and I. But he didn't. Fucking Alexis would never forgive me…but I wasn't the one who killed him.

"Eric," Tris said cupping my face and stared at me.

The tears were forming; fuck did I really have to start crying right fucking now? In front of Tris while there was a war just on the other side of the door and dead bodies all around us?

Tris leaned in close to me placing a quick kiss on my lips, she stayed close as she let her tears fall, "I'm sorry Eric."

I shook my head and the words just popped out of my mouth, "It's okay."

"No it's not," Tris said still crying, "you cared about him…"

I shook my head irritated, I didn't want to see her crying, "please just- just don't fucking cry over Max ok?"

Tris sighed, "I'm not…I'm crying because I've hurt you."

I stared at her in disbelief. The Abnegation never dies I guess, still I couldn't believe that she was crying because she was hurting me. I didn't deserve a single tear she cried for me.

Everything went quiet in the main room. No more bullets or screaming. Either one side had to have won or everyone was dead. After indicating for me Tris to be quiet I slowly opened the door. Everything was still quiet as I crept out the door with Tris behind me. I didn't get very far before I felt a hard cold object collide with the back of my head. The blow threw me to the floor and made everything temporarily fuzzy. I gripped the back of my head while everything around me became clearer.

"Stop! Stop!" Tris cried out standing in front of who ever had hit me.

Glancing up I saw loud mouth Christina with a broken piece of a light fixture in her hand.

"Wake up Tris!" Christina yelled, "It's Eric!"

"I know!" Tris yelled back, "Don't hurt him he's with me!"

Everything in the room went silent again, I sat up on my knees growling as the tension in the back of my head as swelling. Sitting up I noticedthe room was littered with bodies from both sides, but all of the Dauntless/Erudite seemed to be gone. Several of the 'traitor' dauntless standing around looking at me with disgust. Four was towering over me looking at me with his jaw clenched and his hand wrapped around his gun.

I glanced over at Christina, "you got a pretty mean swing there Chris."

"Shut up!" Chris yelled raising the broken metal bar.

"Stop!" Tris said standing in front of her grabbing ahold of the bar.

"What do you mean stop?" Chris demanded, "Him and his gang of Erudite-Dauntless bastards just stormed in here killing all of us and implanting us with whatever the hell these things are!"

Looking around I noticed that everyone had them somewhere on them. They were too small to be a Fulminator, what did they do?

"I have one too…" I breathed out tiredly, "only bigger and more deadly."

"Good!" a dauntless in the room screamed at me while all the others yelled other obscenities at me.

"Look everyone calm down!" Four yelled to everyone, who complied.

"Eric's been helping me!" Tris said now speaking to everyone, "He's been keeping me up to date on Erudite's movements, he's given us all the information that we have he's trying to save us."

"He's trying to save you!" one dauntless yelled out.

Not entirely a lie, I thought as I spoke, "if you think that I can save you all then you better find a new hero. Jeanine is not going to stop until she gets what she wants. I'm only trying to keep Tris away from her, but I can't help you."

"What does Jeanine want Eric?" Four asked looking down on me.

"I don't know," I replied shrugging, "look all I know is that Jeanine wants every divergent delivered to her doorstep. I don't know what she's doing with them."

"Liar!" a voice called out from the crowd of Dauntless.

"I'm not lying!" I tried to convince. What the hell was I doing, there would be no way that I was getting out of this. They were going to kill me.

"What is Jeanine doing with the Divergents?" Four asked gripping the gun.

"Turning them into her little slaves," I said thinking back to the servant boy, "or she takes them into some secret lab I've never been in. I never see any of them after that."

Many of the people in the room seemed unconvinced. Tris came up behind me putting her hands on my shoulders.

"Just kill him Four!" someone yelled out while many other yelled agreeing statements.

"Trial!" Four yelled out turning away from me and opened up another set of doors to a dark room I couldn't make out.

Many of the Dauntless whined at Four's decision. Four was on the phone talking with someone while I glanced around the room. Once Four was off the phone he came striding back over to me.

"As the new leader of Dauntless-," Four began to say.

"They made you leader?" I said surprised…then again after thinking about it wasn't that surprised.

"Yes," Four nodded looking at me with a sort of softness in his eyes, "as the new leader, I'm going to put you on trial for your crimes and leaving it up to them to decide."

"What do you mean?" I asked getting off my knees and standing up.

From the stairs a group of men in black and white suits appeared. I recognized the main man, Jack Kang, leader of Candor with a few followers with a brief case.

"Jack," Four began to say, "I want you to put Eric on trial, once it's done you decide the ruling."

"I'm afraid I can't do that," Jack replied diplomatically, "Eric is not Candor therefore I cannot decide his fate."

"Then who does?" Four asked impatiently.

"Well Eric is Dauntless and you are the leader of Dauntless are you not?" Jack replied with his hands folded, "We may put him on trial but his fate is in your hands."

Four glanced at me coldly, I didn't have time to think about what he was thinking. Instead I started thinking of what was sure to be my last moments. Max's words came to mind, he had told me that when your time comes make sure to go like a Dauntless would. And I was sure that Candor would make sure they get all the confessions out of me. So this was going to be it… I was ready to face my death like a honorable Dauntless would. If nothing else…I would stay brave till the end.

Tris gripped onto my hands and then lifted them up to her face as everyone began gathering into the dark room. She looked at my hands holding them gently.

"What happened?" Tris asked with worry in her eyes.

I took my ugly cut up hands and cupped her face and said, "Don't worry about it baby."

I placed a quick kiss on her lips and stepped forwards facing Four, Jack and the others.

"So," I said shifting uncomfortably with Tris standing behind me still gripping my hands gently, "How we going to do this?"

"We will inject you with a truth serum," Jack explained indicating to the brief case, "the more you resist the more painful it will be."

"Awesome," I said sarcastically rolling my eyes. The truth was never something I was really good with. I wasn't a talking kind of guy, I was more action.

"May the truth set you free," Jack said sternly as he entered into the dark room.

May the truth set you free? What the fuck did that mean? How was telling the truth going to set me free? I still had Candor and now probably Erudite at my throat. Telling a truth here and there wasn't going to help me now. Speaking of Erudite, I wonder if they're coming for me at all. Maybe I'd get 'rescued' before Four can kill me.

The room was mostly black with only a few white lights. In the center of the room was a large dome like structure that shone bright lights into it. All around the circular room were benches where the 'traitor' dauntless and a few Candor were now gathered. Four stood near the dome structure keeping his eyes on me. Tris was still standing next to me, I turned to her.

"Tris," I said to here and indicated to Four, "go…I'll be ok."

Tris threw her hands around me, gripping me tightly. I returned the hug but frankly I didn't want to drag this out. I was looking forwards to everything being over, I just had to get one last request out to Four before I bit the dust.

"I love you baby," I whispered quietly into her ear where no one else would hear as I pulled out the hug.

Tris quietly went over to Four and stood there watching me. Next to me, Jack's men were loading up an injector gun with the truth serum. I hated that shit, my dad used it on me and my brothers a few times when he wanted information despite the fact that he wasn't allowed to. Still, I was going to face this like an honorable man. The needled punctured into my throat as I felt the cool liquid enter my veins moving quickly.

"Step forward please," Jack requested.

Maybe it was just the blow to the head but I was beginning to feel fuzzy again. My skin started to become heated as I started to sweat; I shook my head trying to clear it.

"God I hate this shit!" I yelled out rubbing my hands on my face.

"Eric," Jack began to say, "you are being accused of murdering countless people…do you deny this?"

"No," my mouth formed out, I was losing control. The serum had more control over my mouth that I did.

"Who have you killed?" Jacked asked

"I don't know their names," my mouth shot off.

"I see," Jack said cooly, "Are you aware of the activities that Jeanine Matthews is doing on the divergents?"

"No," I replied feeling more sweat drip down my face, "she won't tell me."

"Why not?" Jack questioned.

"Because Jeanine's a fucking bitch!" I said, that was coming from me not the serum, however the serum felt the need to elaborate, "Jeanine doesn't tell me shit! If I had known what she had planned I never would have fucking joined her. I never wanted to be a part of all of this!"

That seemed to stun them all.

"Really?" Jack said equally surprised, "Many of the people in this room would disagree with you."

"Well then they're all fucking morons," the serum explained, "Jeanine's tearing apart everything over a stupid fucking box. I never wanted any of this shit happen. I just can't get out of my deals with Erudite otherwise I would have run away a long fucking time ago."

"There's no need for such language Eric," Jack explained stern like, "if you didn't agree with what Jeanine was doing, why didn't you leave them? Why can't you get out of your deals?"

"They put a fulminator in my chest," I growled feeling the serum work painfully though my veins, "It'll fucking hurt if they turn it on or try to tear it out."

"What's a fulminator?" Jack questioned.

"It's a device they have wired to my heart," I struggled out, "it has the capacity to send the same volts of electricity as a lightning bolt straight through my heart. Everyone in Dauntless has them now in case Jeanine needs to kill us."

"I see," Jack said with a grim expression.

The serum as making my sick, my stomach was in knots and I was sweating through my jacket.

"Why didn't you stick with these Dauntless members when the first attack on Abnegation began?" Jack questioned.

"I was already wrangled in my Jeanine," I stated feeling the serum now unleashing more pain, "I… I didn't-."

 _Motherfucker_ , the serum was stinging me worse and worse. I knew it was because I wasn't telling the truth but I wasn't ever sure what was going to come out of my mouth. I was scared of what was going to come out of my mouth so I stopped it.

"Eric," Jack said calmly, "the more you resist the-,"

"Yeah! Yeah! It fucking hurts like a bitch even more I know!" I yelled out frustrated clenching my fists and gritted my teeth.

"Why didn't you stop after the first attack on Abnegation?" Jack repeated.

"I…" I said breathlessly, my lungs felt like there were collapsing only speaking helped, "I… wanted Max to be proud of me. I felt like- like…like no one but him gave a shit about me. I just wanted him to take me in like his son; I wanted to feel like I had a family with someone because my family's too fucked up. Max was the only one who ever cared about me."

I saw Tris turn away from me at the mention of Max. Jack seemed unfazed

"What about your relations with Miss Prior?" he continued.

I growled feeling another shooting pain, speaking made it stop hurting, "I wanted Tris to love me…but I knew she was divergent and by the time I realized that I loved her I was already shit deep with Erudite. I couldn't get out of it….I thought that if I worked with Erudite I could try to keep them away from her."

"And yet you don't deny committing the murders and other atrocities in the name of Erudite?" Jack asked.

"No," I mumbled, "Jeanine will kill all of us, Dauntless, Candor everyone! All she cares about is her faction! You all think that I'm a murderer and a monster because Jeanine turned me into one! If I don't do what she tells me to I die. I'm just as much trapped in this war like the rest of you. I don't even care if I die anymore…all I want is to get Tris out of it."

No one said anything for awhile, Four looked at my contemplatively.

Tris stood there her eyes watering as she held her hand over her mouth holding in a sob.

"The more shit I do for Erudite the more I realize I should have just fucking ran off with Tris in the beginning," I added on and then turned to Four, "Four…I've got too much blood on my hands I don't deserve her. But Jeanine will not stop searching for her…all I ask of you is just two things."

Four and Jack glanced at each other.

"What are your requests?" Jack asked.

I turned back to Tris, I could feel the serum wearing off now, "You still got that gun?"

Tris pulled it out slowly; I looked at the polished navy blue and silver handle with all the intricate designs. I thought of all the people that died because of that gun.

"You gave her your gun?" Jack asked eyeing it curiously, "why?"

"In case she needed to kill me," I said in my own honestly, "Four, use that gun…Erudite made me into the monster I am, I might as well go out with them too."

Four took it from Tris who seemed unprepared to give it up.

"And your final request?" Jack asked.

I turned to Tris seeing her eyes sparkling from tears, "Tris…I want you to leave."

"No!" Tris called out running up to me now. Four followed close behind her.

"I don't want you here," I said to her, "I want you to go to the clock tower."

"What…?" she asked confused.

"The suns going to rise soon," I explained, "go watch the sunrise for me."

She shook her head stubbornly and grabbed my hands, "What the hell happened to your hands?"

I chuckled, "I punched out all the mirrors in my house because I didn't want to look at myself after I killed a divergent servant of Jeanine's'."

Tris shook her head and buried her face into my chest holding onto me. I returned her hug, knowing that everyone was watching us.

"Tris," Four said coming up behind us, "you have to go."

Tris pulled away and placed one last kiss on my lips. She stayed there kissing me sweetly, unable to let go.

"It's ok Tris," I whispered to her, "I'll be ok…you'll be ok."

Four had Christina and Tori come over and pull Tris off, taking her away from me. How many times could a heart possibly break before it was totally gone?

With Tris out of the room; Four gripped onto my gun staring at me with an unreadable expression.

"Four," I started to say, "Do me one last favor?"

"You're out of requests," Four replied, "Be brave Eric."

"It's not a request it's a favor," I replied to him. He stood there patiently waiting for me to continue, "Take care of her for me…you're doing a lot better job at it than I am."


	12. Chapter 12

"You're responsible for the death of hundreds of people," Four said standing in front of me, his eye dark, "You know the punishment in for that."

"Listen," I said sincerely feeling disgustingly covered in sweat, "I've learned to live with the blood on my hands."

Four sighed and looked at me, his expression seemed to soften, "I know you think that no one cared about you back in Dauntless."

No shit…

"But I'll tell you the truth," Four muttered coming closer to me, "I cared about you."

"Cared?" I noticed, I didn't believe him.

"You make it hard for people to like you. You're a pain in the ass, and stubborn and hot headed and quite frankly you shot your mouth off a lot when you drink enough," Four explained.

"So you don't care anymore?" I clarified refusing to let a single tear fall now, "Got it."

"Eric you felt like a brother to me once," Four explained speaking softly to me, "you make it hard for people to like you because you keep pushing them away. Be brave Eric…don't push people away."

I shook my head looking down to the floor rubbing my face to hide some lone tears, "just fucking do it already!"

The room was tense; I kept my head down waiting for the bullet. I could feel all the eyes on me, waiting to watch me killed. But it never came…

"Eric," Four began speaking loudly, "I hear by banish you from Dauntless. You are no longer apart of this faction and are will never be one of us for as long as you live."

My head shot up to Four, meeting his gaze. Everyone around us gasped or stared at us in disbelief. Even Jack seemed shocked; a couple of the Dauntless yelled out that I should die.

"What…?" I asked breathlessly. It felt like my heart had stopped and I was breathing.

"Being Dauntless means doing the right thing and standing up for what you believe in," Four said loudly to everyone. He turned the gun over in hand offering it to me, "I'm not going to kill you."

I slowly took the gun from Four but he grabbed onto my wrist and whispered in my ear, "Do me a favor and don't push Tris away."

He back away with a small grin and a nod as he let to gun go. Everyone around us was still screaming for my head on a silver plate. I hardly heard a word of any of it.

I just looked at Four as a smile spread out on my face. My heart was pounding a mile a minute, as I quickly breathed out, "Okay…okay."

Four only grinned and nodded at me again and indicated towards the door. I was free.

Without a second thought I ran for the door, and stopped when I noticed the open door across the room. Max's body was still there, lying in a larger pool of blood. I slowly walked over to him…a part of me was still expecting him to get up.

"Max…" I called out to him.

Nothing…of course nothing, what did I expect?

The room was empty now, only the dead Dauntless bodies were there. I closed the door behind me walking over to Max's body. I kneeled down next to him.

"Max…" I started to say, "or I guess…Max's body since there's no fucking way you can hear me now so really I'm just talking to myself…but I just wanted to say, I'm sorry. I'm sorry I lied to you and that I couldn't be what you wanted me to be."

I sat down on the floor next to him, "Four just banished me from Dauntless…so now I'm factionless I guess. Except I don't even want to be factionless, I don't fit in with them. You know after everything you've taught me, I'm starting to realize that all I want now…is to just be me."

The sky was getting lighter slowly, in about another hour or so the sun would be back.

"I want to tell you something else too," I figured since this seems to be the day I confess everything, "I love Tris…she makes me feel, I don't know human. Like I'm just Eric, not a dauntless or erudite or any of that shit. And for some fucking reason…she loves me too. I want her so bad Max. I've never wanted something this badly before. I don't deserve her…maybe she could just give me one night...or morning I guess."

Would that be asking too much? What was I going to do after this? This stupid Fulminator in my chest had a tracking device. There was no way I could run… maybe I should just go find some lonely little corner of the world and wait for the Erudite to come find me.

"I know I don't deserve it," I said standing up, "but Four told me not to be a coward…to not push people away. So for one night…I won't."

I got up and headed to the closed door and placed my hand on the handle, "Thanks for the lesson Max."

Without another moment of hesitation I threw the doors open and ran out into the streets. It was still quiet and early. The cold air felt good in my lungs. It was refreshing to run as fast as I could in the streets as the sweat on my face cooled me. I noticed a train heading for exactly where I wanted to go. I pushed a little harder and caught up with the train and jumped onto it opening the doors and clamored in. Damn…I forgot how fun that was. It had been a long time since I had done that.

As the train sped towards me destination, I saw the first beams of sunlight on the top of the Ferris wheel. I jumped off the train and began running into the amusement part.

"Tris!" I called out loudly heading towards the clock tower.

I didn't care that my lungs were collapsing from pushing myself so much. The thought of being alone with Tris was what drove me. I needed her so I kept running. Once I rounded the corner and saw the clock tower appear before me my heart jumped to my throat. I could see the orange warm glow of sunlight hit the top of the tower, but I didn't see her. What if she wasn't here? I didn't even want to think about the over whelming disappointment that I would feel if she wasn't.

"Tris!" I called out again heading for the door. It slammed open with a loud bang as I ran up the concrete stairs. As I got to the top, the door to the top tower was open. I quickly climbed the latter and pulled myself in.

"Eric…?" a heard a small voice behind me.

Tris was sitting against the back wall, her face was soaked and her eyes were puffy from crying.

I couldn't wait, I didn't want to. I needed her now; she seemed to think the same. She jumped up wrapping her arms around me and claiming my mouth with hers. The passion and tenacity seemed to explode in my like wildfire. Her mouth opened with mine as my tongue met hers. She wrapped her arms around my neck while I held onto her small waist holding her to me as hard as I could. I was right; time did stop up here in the clock tower. Everything slipped my mind when all I could think about was how fucking happy I was right now.

Tris backed away from our kiss and unzipped my jacket pushing it off.

"Wait," I breathed out.

"No," Tris declared as my jacket fell to the floor. She pushed me more to the center of the room.

I was still wondering how far I should push it with an Abnegation girl. We had never gotten that physical before but damn…I wanted her. Another part of my body was driving my decision making as I picked her up claiming her mouth again. She wrapped her legs around my waist while her tongue danced with mine. I moaned into the kiss soaking up the heat and passion from it as I carefully lowered down to the floor laying her down flat.

With her flat on her back it only made holding back all the more hard, "Are you sure?"

"Yes," Tris said with a smirk on her face. She grabbed for my white cotton shirt and pulled it off hastily.

I didn't say anything but it stung a bit with all the cuts on my back. Except she noticed what must've have been a pained look on my face. I sat up with her following me. She glanced down at my chest as her breath hitched in her throat. Now she looked nervous but wanting at the same time. I reached out pulling her into my lap keeping my hands on her waist

"See something you like?" I asked with a playful smirk.

She put her hand on my shoulder and ran it down my back, feeling the cuts, "what…?"

"Don't ok?" I asked softly putting my hands on her waist, "I just… I don't want to talk about it right now ok? I just want to be here with you right now."

Tris moved her hand from my back running it down my chest. The lower she got the more my desire grew and the smaller my tight dauntless pants seemed to get.

"Are you sure about this…?" I asked her noticing the nervous look on her face.

"Yes," Tris nodded but her shallow breathing I knew she was nervous, "I don't know if we'll ever have this chance again. I want just one good night with you."

"Morning," I corrected as I pulled her ever closer.

She giggled, it was like music to my ears the made my stomach flutter. She looked down my chest again skimming her fingers over the Fulminator. Her expression darkened.

"Does it hurt?" she asked running her fingers over the outer circle of metal balls.

"I can hardly feel it," I breathed out being only acutely aware of how her fingers felt on my chest. I skimmed my hands under the hem of her shirt and reached under for the bare skin of her back.


	13. Chapter 13

**So I feel like I'm not that good at writing a lemon**

 **And if you're not good at reading a lemon feel free to skip this chapter**

 **Otherwise feel free to review my lemon**

 **Thank you to all my amazing loyal readers!**

The clock tower had a peculiar way of making it feel as if time had stopped. I had Tris underneath my now breathing slowly, starring up at me with a mix of emotions on her face. In the heat of the moment of first seeing each other, we both acted desperate and hurried. Now that it was coming down to it, the nervousness was written all over her face. She seemed lost but also so fucking beautiful. So was I, my mind was a total blank when all I could do was just stare at her. Most of both out clothes were off, lying in a heap not so far from us. Dawn had broken and the sunlight was flooding in warmly.

"Are you ok?" I whispered to her, I had my hand resting on her side, reveling in the softness of her skin on my cut up hands.

"Yeah…" Tris nodded shakily, "I'm just…nervous."

I smiled warmly at her, I couldn't fucking believe I was here right now, "It's ok…just relax. Let your body react and just tell me to stop whenever."

"Don't stop Eric," Tris whispered to me running her thumb along my bottom lip, "I want it to be you."

Her words made my heart soar and my head feel light as a feather. She sighed heavily as I slowly moved my hand up cupped her breast. I had to make this as perfect for her as I could. So kissing her tenderly along her neck, I slowly played with her nipple between my fingers. Her breathing picked up as she closed her eyes. I moved my mouth downward kissing her down her chest. With my fingers toying with one nipple I took her other in my mouth running my tongue over it softly. She moaned quietly with on hand gripping onto my hair and the other holding onto my shoulder. I glanced up at her not taking my mouth off, her eyes were still closed as she was moaning at my touch.

"You're so fucking beautiful Tris," I said unable to hide my grin, "I'm so happy I'm here…"

She opened her eyes again, smiling wide, "You know…I don't think I've ever seen you blushing before."

I laughed for what felt like the first time in years, "What can I say? I don't usually get girls as amazing as you."

Tris bit her lip amidst her beautiful smile as she cupped my face pulling her back up to me. She kept one hand gripped in my hair as she ran the other down my chest. Her tongue slowly danced with mine as I deepen the kiss wanting to taste everything about her. I let finger graze past her nipple, soaking in the valley of her body as I moved downwards. I skimmed my fingers under her panties and stopped as her breath hitched and her grip in my hair tightened making all the more hard.

I kissed her softly a few more times as her cheeks turned more red and she looked at my nervously. I kept my hand under the hem of her panties waiting for her to tell me no if she wanted to.

"Are you scared?" I asked with a smirk.

She giggled slightly probably to hide her nervousness, "I just want to be…perfect…for you. I mean I've never-."

"You are perfect," I said grazing her lips with mine. Her shallow breathing on mine only sent shivers down my back, "You know someone told me to be brave and not push you away…I don't want to anymore. Be brave for me and I promise you…I'll make you feel as beautiful as you are. Just trust me."

Her hazel eyes looked up at me, they were dilated and full of lust.

"I trust you Eric," she whispered nodding as her mouth claimed mine again.

I took the invitation, hoping to distract her with the kiss. Her body was frigid and tense undermine. Hopefully this would relax her as I moved my hand father down. We both moaned this time into each others mouth as I felt my finger brushing against her soft sex. All I could think about now was how it'd feel to be inside her…but I was determined to show her just how amazing it felt before I get there.

I slowly circled my fingers around the outside, enjoying how hot and soft she felt. A part of me wanted to tease her…get her as turned on as I could before I took her. A devious smirk broke out across my face as my mind began racing with ideas.

"What are you smirking at?" Tris asked, as she squirmed underneath me.

"You," I replied with the same devious grin.

Tris couldn't stop squirming; she had this sexy look on her face as I dipped my finger into her entrance and moaned into it. She was already soaking as I slipped my finger in deeper. I pulled out slowly letting her absorbed the new feeling and slip back in with ease. Every time I did she just gasped loudly and squirmed underneath my touch even more.

"You're adorable," I giggled watching enjoying everything about her.

Apparently my words became her undoing as I felt her cumming around my finger and her body started spasming. She moaned loudly pulling my hair and running her fingernails down my back. I feel like in any other situation it would just hurt like hell because of all the cuts…but now I was just harder than a diamond.

"You can make me do…that just by the sound of your voice?" Tris asked as she came down from her first orgasm with an embarrassed but satisfied look on her face.

I couldn't stop the smile from spreading across my face as I bite my lip feeling my heart pounding in my chest, "apparently."

I pulled my finger out of her taking it up to my mouth. She tasted like the most amazing thing I could ever have. The mixed look of shock and lust spread across Tris's face as I licked my finger clean.

"Want me to make you feel like that again?" I asked with my trade mark smirk.

Tris nodded eagerly.

I laughed again, she really was fucking adorable. I quickly slid off her panties and slid my boxers off. She glanced down at my only for her eyes widened and her body went frigid again as she turned her head looking away from me nervously again. I grabbed her hands lacing her fingers with mine and lifted them above her head. I forced her to look back up at me and placed my forehead on hers, I looked deep into those gorgeous hazel eyes of hers and mumbled, "I love you Tris…always. You're my reason to be brave; you're the reason why I want to be a better man…and I'm never going to be able to thank you enough for that. "

Tris smiled, as a tear formed in her eye as she muttered, "I love you too…"

Her hands gripped mine harder as I pushed myself into her. God she was so tight…I moaned loudly. My brain started to scramble at how fucking amazing she felt right now. I had to keep reminding myself to hold back and to not hurt her too much. Slowly, I pulled out slightly and reentered, she whimpered from a mix of pain and pleasure as I ripped through her.


	14. Chapter 14

Even after my argument with Tris, nothing could take away from how amazing I felt right now. It was early morning as I was practically skipping back to Erudite. I felt so entirely relax and relieved. It was like having a thousand pounds of Erudite removed from my back. I didn't realize how badly I needed to get laid the last few months until now…and now I felt so complete and fucking perfect. I couldn't stop smiling at feeling the blush run over my face in thinking about my morning.

Even after fighting with Tris I couldn't help but fall deeper in love with her. This was just what I needed. The source of our fight was from what we should do next. Tris told me to go back to Erudite, with the fulminator she didn't think I had much of a choice. She told me to go back and tell them that I had broken out of Candor and hid in the clock tower for the night.

There was no way in hell I wanted to go back there. But truth was, I had no idea what to do next. Running would be useless; the Fulminator had a tracking device. Also because of that reason I couldn't go with Tris, that would lead erudite straight to her. I didn't want to think about what to do next when all I could think about was how I had just made love to the woman of my dreams. _Making love huh?_ I thought to myself. I didn't even think I was capable of that, I mostly just fucked.

Tris slapped me and told me to focus. She was right…I didn't have time to leave my head up in the clouds like I felt. After a very difficult goodbye, Tris and I went our separate ways. I decided to head back to Erudite while Tris promised she would find a way to save me. I had very little hope for that notion but this would probably be the last time in my life I would ever feel this fucking alive and free. So I choose to enjoy it.

The whole walk back to Erudite, I held my head a little higher not even bothering to hide my smile. I had gotten my one morning I wanted… now I just had to cling onto that until my death came. Once in the city, there were few people out and about in the streets. They all avoided me and got out of my way like the plaque. I hardly noticed them as I made my way up to the immaculate white building of Erudite. I entered into Erudite and noticed the last person I wanted to see standing near the fountain.

Richard had his arms wrapped behind his back with his typical grimace on his face watching me. I choose to ignore him walking past him only for him to follow me and grab onto my wrist.

"Don't!" I yelled pushing him off.

"You need to come with me," Richard growled callously.

"Why should I?" I replied.

"You look rather cheery this morning," Richard noted looking over me.

"What can I say?" I replied shaking my head, "Killing all those dauntless and escaping Candor last night will do that to you?."

"You escaped Candor last night?" Richard asked suspiciously.

"Yup," I said walking away only for him to step in front of me again.

"Where did you go?" he interrogated.

"To a safe place," I replied trying to sound as convincing as I could, "the dauntless and candor were looking for me all fucking night so I hid until I thought it was safe to leave."

"Come with me," Richard said harshly getting a death grip on my wrist and dragging me away.

Seems like I didn't have much choice, I wasn't scared of this old man. I could easily take him if I had to. So I let him drag me away down the stairs into the basement. It got colder and dark as we went more down. Nervousness started to overtake me; it felt like with each flight of stairs we went down a part of Tris and everything about this morning slipped away. I had never been down here before. What was he doing?

As we finally got to the bottom of the basement Richard released me we were in a small room with a pair of metal double doors in front of me. Richard let me go as he opened up the doors. What I found on the other side seemed to make time stop but in a much more painful way than the way the clock tower does. It made my stomach sink and my heart spike to my throat which immediately dried up.

The room reminded me of the room where the choosing ceremony took place, a large center like stage with stadium like seating all around. Sitting in those seats were too many of the wrong people. The first person I noticed was Jed sitting on the center stage. His wrists were strapped to a chair, blood was running out of his nose and he coughing profusely. Standing next to him was Jeanine with an injector gun in her hand; her eyes turned to me and looked more icy cold than the harshest winter.

In the front row of the seats were Zara with Alexis sitting on her lap. Both of them had been crying for hours by the look of it. Zara looked at me with the thickest look of disgust and the pain and fear in Alexis' eyes shook me to my core. Sitting next to them was Cole who looked like he wanted to kill me…and then Katherine, my mom. She looked like she had been crying too…

I stepped into the room, noticing a bulk of Erudite and Dauntless all looking at my with the same angered look.

"Eric," Jeanine said crossing her hands with the injector gun in hand, "How nice of you to join us."

Jed seemed to register that I was here for the first time. He looked terribly exhausted as he started to yell at me, "Eric! Eric I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!"

I entered into the room feeling my lungs collapsing I couldn't breathe. Richard closed the door behind me clicking the lock into place.

"Where have you been?" Jeanine asked as I stepped onto the stage staring at Jed.

I took a deep breath, trying to stop the whirling inside my head.

"I'm sorry…" Jed exasperated looking up at me, "I'm sorry Eric…I'm sorry."

Swallowing the lump in my throat, I glanced around the room my eyes stopping on Alexis. I wonder if someone would love her as much as I loved Tris. They had better treat her as fucking good as I didn't Tris.

"Eric!" Richard called from behind me, "Where the hell have you been?"

I contemplated the question and the different answers I could give. However in that one moment a single phrase ran through my mind.

 _May the truth set you free._

I couldn't stop it; the smile broke out across my face again. Even the sound of my voice had an effect over Tris…

"Eric!" Katherine's cries came from besides me. She got up and came up to me putting her hands on my shoulders, "Tell me it's not true! Tell me!"

I laughed and shook my head, "You know what mom…it is."

She slapped me across the face, fairly lightly at that, as more tears fell from her eyes.

"You want me to lie?" I asked her with the small grin, "I mean were not Candor so I guess I could."

"What the hell are you going on about?" Richard demanded, "Just answer the damn question!"

"Okay," I said nodding, "I was with the love of my life last night…you see, after she shot Max, the candor decided to put me on trial their way using the truth serum like the one you're using on my brother over there."

Zara chocked on her own sobs at my words. I could see Alexis gripping onto her mother harder at my words, and it killed me to see them like that. But maybe the truth would set them free too.

"How did you-," Jeanine asked with a bewildered look.

"Well you see Jeanie," I began again speaking loudly so everyone could hear me, "it seems there's an outlier amongst your high ranking officials. Anyways, Candor put me on trial and I basically bared my soul for all of them to see where I admitted that I feel like a piece of shit because of you. All I ever wanted was for someone to prove to me that I was wrong about myself because everyone knows that the fucking prick behind me and all those piss ass Erudite teachers ensured that I stayed that way."

Everyone around me seemed with confused or shocked as I spoke.

"And I finally found someone that made me feel so complete and like I'm actually worth something," I said as the smile forced itself onto my face. I couldn't' help but think about the first moments with Tris, the determination in her as she threw that knife at my face, the way she over powered me and beat me at my own game of capture the flag, how I felt like I had a thousand shooting stars in my the first time I kissed her.

"I decided a long time ago, before I knew what you had planned for all of us that I would never let you take that away from me Jeanine," I said to her coldly as she shared the same look on her face, "So Four, the new leader of those 'traitor' Dauntless as you put it, decided that I'm banished from Dauntless for life. How you like that. I'm factionless now and yet I'm still one of your highest ranking officials. Well actually I'm going to go ahead and assume that I'm not anymore but you get the idea. Anyways, after Four let me go I went to the clock tower and met Tris there. I'll spare you the details but she made me feel exactly like what I've always wanted."

It seemed like the more I talked that the more like Jeanine wanted to stab me with the needle of the injector pen. Jed looked at me like I was crazy and Katherine seemed confused and lost in all my rambling.

"So after my night with Tris, she convinced me to come back here," I continued looking from Jed to Jeanine, "she wanted me to come back since I got the Fulminator in my chest-,"

"What?" Katherine yelled out and snapped her head to Richard, "You put the Fulminator in our Son?"

"Good fucking thing to!" Richard yelled out.

"Both of you!" Jeanine yelled to them, "Quiet!"

"Yeah," I agreed with her, "Shut up for a minute, I've got someone else I gotta talk to."

I started walking over to Alexis only for Zara to shield her from me.

"Don't you fucking come near us!" she growled.

"I'm not going to hurt you," I said holding up my hands to her, "Alexis! You can be scared of me if you want but you need to hear this."

Alexis peered over her mother's shoulder at me curiously.

"Your father was the most amazing man I've ever met," I said smiling happily, "he was more of a father to me than anyone. He taught me the most amazing things, how to be a man. He showed me what it meant to be Dauntless and be brave and strong and how to be a good person. He just got lost in his way because of this-… mean person."

I indicated over to Jeanine as Alexis continued to watch me.

"Alexis," I said to her kneeling down in front of her and Zara, "if you want to be brave and strong like a dauntless then do it! Do whatever you want to do, whatever feels right to you. That's what Dauntless is supposed to be, doing what's right. You're daddy taught me to stand up and protect that that others won't…and that's what I'm trying to do. Protect the people that Jeanine wants us to kill."

Zara stared at me with the tears streaming down her face. Her grip on Alexis was lightening. Alexis had stopped crying; instead she was looking at me with a small gleam in her eye.

"Lexi I know that you must be confused with everything you've seen and heard," I said to her softly, "I'm sorry that you have to see this all so young. But really Lexi I think what your daddy would really want you to do…it just be you."

I stood up and walked back over to Jeanine holding my hands up to her, "Jeanine…you turned me into a fucking monster. I'm a murderer because of you and I should have just been a stronger man and stood up against you a long time ago. I don't deserve Tris, I really don't but I had my one unforgettable night with her. That was all I wanted…"

Jeanine stood there observing me with a cold hard stare and finally muttered calmly, "You're father was right…you are a disgrace to Erudite and Dauntless."

"Weren't you paying attention?" I asked her, "I'm factionless now."

"Well then I guess I have no use for you," Jeanine said glancing past me to Richard.

I looked over my shoulder and it seems everyone eyes in the room followed mine as Richard pulled out a small remote from his jacket pocket.

"No! Don't!" I heard Jed scream out before my legs gave out from under me.

It all happened so fast that I could barely register the screams from Alexis and Katherine before I fell to the ground. I felt as if my heart was being ripped out of my chest. An uncontrollable scream escaped me as I felt a wave of static run through my whole body. The pain was unbearable to the point that I couldn't think straight. It felt as if my heart was being ripped in two, the blood in my brain was boiling to the point that it felt like my skull was crushing me. The feeling of a thousand knifes stabbing me all over my body was the last thing I felt.


	15. Chapter 15

_**Tris...** _

Every time I closed my eyes I could see him. I imagined his big strong arms around me; nothing could touch me when he was around. That rare smile that he only ever gave me that would make my heart flutter. His smoldering stormy blue eyes that were filled with sorrow. Seeing all the cuts on his back killed me, I knew that he did it to himself. Erudite was killing him, he was drowning. I could see it, all I could do was hope that I could save him. Only I didn't know how.

But for now, I didn't want to bother myself with the desperation of wanting to save him. For now…all I wanted to think about was that rare smile and the dreamy look on his face after out morning up in the clock tower. I was still sore _down there_ , deliciously sore. It reminded me that it was real, that he was real to me. Despite Erudite's best efforts, he still had his heart and he had given it to me today.

I laid in the bed of Evelyn's house, Four's mother. Starring up at the rickety ceiling letting my mind drift back to the most amazing man I'd ever met. I had made my way back to Factionless after we had gone our separate ways. It was early afternoon and I excused myself to go lay down upstairs. Eric had worn me out, I couldn't help smiling at that notion. I couldn't believe that it was Eric. My mother had told me long ago about how there would be this amazing moment that I would give myself over to the man I loved, body, heart and soul. I never thought that it would be Eric.

I hated myself for sending back to Erudite. But if he ran now, everyone would know. I refused to let him die by the fulminator in his chest. I was going to save him however I could. I had an idea in mind but it was crazy… A nagging part of me was telling me that sending back to Erudite was a mistake, something didn't feel right. However I could only pin it on that I just missed him. If I let my paranoia set in, it'll eat me alive. I had plenty to reasons to be paranoid…but we were doing alright so far. We just had to both hold out for as long as we could.

There was a light knock on my door. I sat up in the bed calling for whoever it was to come in.

Eli opened the door stepping in and shut the door behind him.

"Hey," he said with a smile, "I just wanted to make sure that you're ok. You've been napping for a while."

Eli reminded me so much of Eric. He looked just like him, same burly build and similar face. Except Eli's face was softer as compared to Eric's. Eli had a natural lightness to his face as compared to Eric with his eye brow piercings and neck tattoos. I never realized that a secret part of me found the piercings and tattoos sexy about him.

"I'm ok," I said happily.

Eli smirked and sat on a chair near the door, "I can tell…it's written all over your face. What happened last night?"

I went into the story of how Four and I had gone to Candor to find the other Dauntless. Telling him about how Eric and the Dauntless/Erudite had rounded up all the divergents in Candor, how they put Eric on trial and Four let him go, and how Eric found me up at the clock tower afterwards.

"So we just spent the morning together," I shrugged unable to hide my smile.

"So what'd you do all morning?" Eli asked with a smirk that reminded me so much of Eric's.

I put my hand over my mouth hoping to hide my blushing cheeks and insatiable grin.

Eli giggled, "Good…I'm glad my brother got one good night."

Eli had left amity soon after Dauntless had invaded the farms. He realized that Eric was in trouble, he could see it in his eyes as Eli put it. He had gone to Johanna and told her that he had to help save his brother. Johanna told him that Amity had strict rules about non-violence. If Eli were to leave Amity he would never be allowed back in. Eli didn't give it a second thought; he told me that he could see his brother was troubled. He said that his brother's well-being meant more to him than anything else in the world because he felt that his brother was all he had. (That seemed pretty Amity to me honestly.) So he left and came to factionless.

I remember seeing him when he first strolled into Amity. At first, I thought my mind was playing tricks on me. He looked just like Eric except in the typical Amity colors. I ran up to him believing for a moment that it was Eric only for me to get closer to him did I realize that without the piercings and tattoos that it wasn't him. Still Eli greeted me warmly with a big hug and said he knew all about me and wanted to help me with getting his brother back. Since then we had been training him here in Factionless on how to shoot a gun and fight. He was doing surprisingly well, Eli told me it was from all the times that he and Eric shared a bunk bed and Eric would jump on him when they were little and wrestle with him.

Now I felt my mood diminish. There were a few parts that I had left out to Eli about my story of what had happened last night…but I wanted to tell him about it.

"Yeah but I'm worried that I hurt Eric…" I said shaking my head. The idea was like a knife to my heart.

Eli waited patiently.

"I…" I choked out and swallowed a lump in my throat, "I killed Max…he was going to make Eric shoot a little girl. I didn't think that he was actually going to do it. But I saw it in Max, he noticed that Eric kept glancing at me and Max started raising his gun to Eric. I panicked I thought he was going to shoot him! So I shot him first…and Eric loved him."

Eli sighed and glanced up at me, "Did Eric say anything about it?"

"No," I replied, "but we didn't really want to…well talk."

Eli's playfulness bounced back, "So you weren't just talking up in the clock tower."

I threw a pillow on the bed at him feeling my grin come back to my face, "Shut up! But I'm serious… I think I really hurt him."

Eli scooted the chair closer to me now, "Look Tris…if Eric just got kicked out of Dauntless and he came running to you right off the bat then trust me. He loves you."

I looked away from him, trying to collect my thoughts, "I just can't bear that I hurt him...Eric feels like he has no one. Max was the only person that really cared about him…and I killed him."

"That's not true!" Eli exclaimed, "Eric has you and me…we just need to show him that. Eric will forgive you, I promise."

"What if he doesn't?" I questioned feeling my eye water.

"He will," Eli promised placing his hand over mine, "I know my big brother. He doesn't let very many people into his heart. He let me in and trust me when I say that once you get in…he will never give up one you."

"Never give up," I repeated with a sad smile thinking back to our training days. Eric frequently preached to us that Dauntless _never_ give up. Those days seemed like so long ago, I wished I could go back to them.

"We'll find a way to show him," Eli said confidently, "Where is he now?"

I recoiled at his words. That was the other part of the story, I let the tears fall now. The overwhelming tidal wave of emotions were crashing down on me, I missed Eric, I felt guilty for killing Max and felt even more guilty for sending him back to Erudite. The more I thought about it the more I regretted it.

"What is it Tris?" Eli said speaking softly, "You can tell me."

"I…" I mumbled out breathlessly, "I…told him that I think he should go back to Erudite…because of the Fulminator."

"The what?" Eli asked confused.

"The Fulminator," I said and explained to him what it was and that it couldn't be removed.

"That's disgusting," Eli said bitterly after I explained.

"I know," I agreed wiping the tears from my face, "and my stupid ass sent him straight back to the people who put it in him."

Eli grabbed for my chin and lifted my eyes up to him, "We're going to save him…we'll find a way. I promise."

"You're not mad?" I asked surprised.

"No," Eli said shaking his head, "I know you thought that it was the best course of action, and I forgive you. I know that we'll save him."

"You Amity and your misplaced forgiveness," I chuckled at him wiping away a few last tears.

"Not misplaced," Eli smiled with his blue eyes shining brightly, "as far as I'm concerned you're my sister. If my brothers with you then I'm with you too…but in a different way as in your brother obviously."

He and I both chuckled; his words although sweet and sincere, brought bitterness to my mind. I had a brother…and he left us. I didn't know where he was anymore.


	16. Chapter 16

There was another small knock at my door only this time the person just opened it. Four stood there looking perplexed.

"You ok?" I asked him, he looked exhausted.

Four shrugged as he came in and sat on the floor near my bed, "I don't know what to do next."

"I do," I replied feeling my stomach flip over. This was my crazy plan…

Both of the boys eyed me curiously.

"Jeanine's obviously looking for me," I started to say, "I'm thinking of seeing if she'd trade my life for Eric's."

"No!" both of them yelled in unison.

"Jeanine will never agree to that!" Four yelled out.

"Yeah and besides what if you just go waltzing into Erudite and she decided to keep you both," Eli pointed out.

"Besides you don't know if anything's gone wrong yet," Four inputted, "also if Eric did get caught there's a chance that he could already be-."

"No he's not!" I screamed out loudly. I knew Evelyn down stairs would hear us, "Don't say it!"

Even Eli looked uncomfortable at the idea Four was suggesting.

"Look we don't have the time to waste and sit around and wait to see what happens next," I started to explain; "if I can get Eric to go free I'll do it."

"Eric wouldn't want you to," Eli said glumly, "at that point I don't know if he would forgive you…or me for that matter once he knows I'm helping you."

"I have to try," I replied shaking my head.

"I'm not going to let that happen," Four said sternly looking darkly at me.

"Then what do you suggest leader of Dauntless?" I said angrily at Four.

"I don't know," Four said throwing up his hands exasperated.

"We'll figure it out!" Eli said between us, "I don't know how but we will. All we gotta do is-,"

Whatever Eli was going to say was interrupted by the sound of someone running up the wooden stairs desperately. The door swung open and Evelyn stood in the doorway looking frazzled.

"Come quick!" She yelled, "It's your friend Christina and some other girls-,"

The three of us didn't wait for any other explanation. I felt my heart spike as we all jumped down the stairs out into the main compound of Factionless. Everyone was gathered under the ledge looking up talking nervously. I just began running as fast as I could to the end of the compound not even fully bothering to see what was going on. When I finally made it to underneath the ledge I looked up.

Sure enough Christina, a young Dauntless boy and an older girl were standing over the ledge. They had a blank look on their face as they repeated the same phrase over and over.

"Tris Prior," they said in unison, "your boyfriend would like to see you tonight at Erudite."

No…I didn't have time to ponder on what they were saying because every time they said it they took a step closer to the edge. Eli and I started climbing up the tattered walls as they continued to repeat the same phrase. Each step they took made my heart beat faster at seeing Christina so close to the edge. Eli and I had finally made it to the top. I managed to grab onto Christina's hands, Eli got ahold of the little boy and pulled him back over the ledge far enough. The other woman however…fell to the ground and with a loud crack I felt like it had cracked my heart.

Christina came out of her trance and started screaming up at me.

"Tris!" She yelled out realizing the situation as she gripped my hands tighter.

"C'mon!" I said to her trying to pull her up.

She grabbed onto the tattered ledge and managed to get up and crumbled into my arms like she did when Eric pushed her over the edge in Dauntless.

Eric…they had said that Eric wanted to see me in Erudite tonight, which means the worst. I felt like I was collapsing…they knew. They had also said that he wanted to see me which meant he must still be alive. It seemed like a non-option at this point. I was going to go.

Slowly Eli, the boy, Christina and I mae our way back down to solid ground. The body of the other Dauntless was removed, Tori had taken in to observe the device that was lodged in a majority of everyone's body. We all sat in a tense enjoinment for another hour waiting. Finally Tori and Evelyn came out holding a little bowl in one hand a pair of tweezers in the other holding up the little metal ball.

"We removed this from the body of the suicide," Evelyn said robustly.

"Marlene," Lynn, a dauntless, said sadly, "Her name was Marlene."

"Sorry," Evelyn said bowing her head, "Marlene."

"It's a very sophisticated sim serum injector," Tory began to explain holding it up. From the small metal ball it had some wires hanging from it, all I could picture was the same wires only more dangerous wrapped around Eric's heart.

"It also has a radio transmitter in its head," Tori further elaborated.

"How do we get them out?" Edgar, a factionless member demanded.

"I don't know," Tori said grimly, "this tech was built to defend itself. This Tendril wraps around the nearest major artery. Try to remove them and they kill the host."

"So what do we do?" Christina demanded as everyone around shared the same look of fear.

"Tori has to find a way to neutralize the disks before we do anything," Four said trying to calm everyone.

"Or we could do the logical thing!" Edgar called out pointing to me, "They obviously want her! So c'mon Tris! Go be with your precious Erudite boyfriend! Nobody knows about this alliance and we have to protect that advantage. If we hand Tris over now it might buy us some time!"

All the factionless around agreed with his sentiment. I did to… I had to go help Eric. He had spent so much of his time and energy to save me. I had to do the same. Eli placed his hand on my shoulder comfortingly. Four stepped up.

"I think that's a good idea," Four said looking at him sternly, "except you'll have to go through me first."

"Me too!" Christina said standing up next to me.

All of the dauntless agreed with them. This was useless…

I stormed up and headed down one of the abandoned hallways prepared to punch anyone who followed me. Edgar yelled at me as I left I tuned it out…I needed time to think. I started running down the hallway jumping over abandoned trash and empty boxes. I had it out into the openness just as the sun was setting. I took a deep breath of fresh air and let the ocean of tears fall. I crumbled down onto a pile of rubble nearby and just let myself cry.

Eric…god I hope they weren't hurting him. I can't let them hurt him because of me. It made my head spin and made me nauseous in just thinking about it. I didn't care anymore. I had not real plan in mind but I had to go to them. I wasn't afraid of Jeanine; they just had to let Eric go.

After a few more minutes of releasing the pressure through my tears, I wiped my face clean, stood up and closed my eyes. I breathed in the night air, feeling the warmth of the sun disappear. With my eyes closed I just cleared my mind and pictured a perfect life with Eric. I wasn't sure if I would it would ever really be, but it helped calm me. Just the thought of his arms wrapped around me and the way he cupped my face when he kissed me made me feel warm inside.

I opened my eyes to face the harsh reality and as I turned to the right to begin heading towards Erudite…I stopped breathing.

"Eric…" I whispered out.

He stood there on top of the decaying building a few feet above me. He stood there with a stern stance, his fists clenched looking down on me. I didn't think about or even look at his face as I ran up to him. The excitement of seeing him here blinded me to that.

"Eric!" I screamed as I quickly threw my arms around him, "Oh Eric thank god you got away! Jeanine she just…"

He wasn't retuning my hug; she just stood there still as a statue and as hard as ever. I kept my arms around his neck but pulled away to look at his face. His jaw was clenched and his eyes were a darker shade of blue that I haven't seen on him in a long time. He had the meanest grimace on his face as he just stared back at me coldly. It reminded me of the first time I had ever met him up on the rooftop when he told me to jump into Dauntless.

"Eric…" I begged desperately placing my hand on the side of his face.

From underneath his black t-shirt I noticed a small blinking blue light where his Fulminator was. I grabbed the hem of the top of his shirt and began pulling it down only for him to grab onto my wrists painfully hard while his other hand shoved my head against a nearby rock making everything go black. 


	17. Chapter 17

The side of my head was throbbing. I was lying on a thin mattress in what looked like a bunk. As I propped myself up on my elbows, I took into my surroundings. The small room was all concrete with a toilet and a shower spout hanging up on the wall. There was one thin tall window emitting a ray of light. The small bunk in the wall had an uncomfortable mattress. It all started flooding back to me.

Erudite was controlling Eric now. I saw him outside Erudite and he attacked me. I had to talk to Jeanine; I would do anything she wanted if she would let Eric go. She had to… I would kill her if she didn't. Hell I wanted to kill her anyways and I was going to.

I sat there quietly wondering what I should do next until I heard the automatic door slide open. In strode Peter in his black and blue uniform. I wanted to kill him but he had a gun on his hip and as much as I didn't want to admit it, he was a better fighter than me.

"Wow," Peter said looking at me in disbelief, "I have to admit, I mean I knew that you dumb but I never expected that from Eric."

I glared at him angrily.

"I mean c'mon," Peter said sitting down next to me, "Eric was top of the line Dauntless and we all thought he was one of Jeanine's most trusted associates. Even before then Eric was incredible in Dauntless and yet he picked you."

"The killings have to stop," I tried to demand choosing to ignore what he was saying even though it was igniting a fire in me.

"Do you realize that Eric being Eric," Peter said with a bastard grin, "could have easily had any girl in Dauntless that he wanted? Why the hell would he pick you? I mean looking back, I guess I'm not surprised that you were top in our class when Eric was running your fear sims. What'd you do blow him?"

"Fuck you!" I screamed loudly, "You don't even know him! He was here form months and he fooled all of you! You don't know him!"

"Yeah but I guess you do," Peter replied smugly, "I mean all those times that the two of you spent running your fear sims when you were probably whoring out to him to save yourself. That's what everyone is saying about the two of you anyways."

I shook my head refusing to cry in front of him. I didn't believe what he was saying for a moment.

"Yeah seriously," Peter retorted, "After looking over your final test with the sim you had with Eric everyone's saying that he raped you which is why you're so hell bent on destroying the faction system. So what happened you whored around but couldn't go through with it in the end so he just took you?"

"Shut up!" I screamed back at him so loudly it stung my throat.

I threw out my arm punching him across his jaw as hard as I could. However Peter reacted quickly and grabbed onto my arm throwing it behind my back.

"Well that just goes to show that you can't take the girl out of Abnegation but you can't take the Abnegations out of the girl," Peter said holding onto my wrists leading me away, "Once a stiff always a stiff."

I couldn't be emotional right now. I swallowed down the urge to cry. I couldn't believe all the lies they were spreading around about Eric, if Peter was telling the truth that is. I just had to focus on saving Eric and killing Jeanine. I refused to appear weak right now. I was going to destroy them all one way or another.

With Peter behind me he led me through a series of hallways and finally stopping outside of a large door. He entered a code onto a screen nearby and the whole wall slid open. Peter let me go and shoved me in. It was a mostly white room with a glass wall. Inside the room was a pedestal that had a five sided box sitting on it. That has to be it.

"So that's it huh?" I asked stepping in with Peter following.

"That's the only reason you're alive Tris," Peter replied eagerly, "Man I love knowing stuff that you don't."

"I already knew about it jackass," I shot back at him angrily, "Eric told me…"

"Remarkable," a calm voice came.

The room on the other side of the glass wall lite up as I saw her standing there. Jeanine, in her blue power suit and a bandage still around her hand that I punctured. A small part of me was proud she was still hurting.

"The chances of it being you, of all people," Jeanine said stepping closer to the glass wall, "Nearly defies the laws of probability."

"What are you talking about?" I demanded.

Jeanine glanced over to Peter. I looked over my shoulder as he reached for a hidden cubby in the wall and pulled out the device they used to find divergents. He held it up to my face.

" _Divergent_ ," it had said, " _one-hundred percent_."

"It's been you all along," Jeanine said with a small grin, "you're the perfect subject."

"We need you to open up that box Tris," Peter stated, "the only way to open that box is to pass the sims of all five factions. The only people who have tried so far have died."

I glanced up at him horrified and then glanced back to Jeanine, "Where's Eric?"

"Eric is currently indisposed of," Jeanine said her face going dark, "his treachery will be answered for. Initially I had him bring you here and was going to have him kill you. He's unaware of what he's doing when I put him under sim but when he comes out of it he will remember everything. He had a knife to your throat when you were unconscious but we tested you and found out that you're the perfect subject so we're allowing you to live for now."

"I'll do whatever you want," I said boldly, "Just let him go…"

Jeanine scoffed softly at this, "Why would you want that? From what I have been hearing you were victimized by him during you're training. You don't have to protect him anymore."

"You know you're are not as smart as you think you are at all!" I screamed at her, hating them all for all the things they were saying about him and about us.

"You will face your punishment for being Divergent," Jeanine said turning her back to me and walking over to the screens, "and Eric will answer for his treachery and for taking advantage of you. Step up on the disk please."

I glanced over at the silver disks on the floor and the ominous black hole above it. Instead, I kicked Peter in the stomach as hard as I could and grabbed the gun off of him. Grabbing onto Peter I shoved him against the glass wall with the gun at his head. That didn't even get Jeanine's attention, one of her other lab rats had to bring her attention to me.

Jeanine glanced over her shoulder at me, "Oh."

"Stop the suicides and let Eric go of I swear I will shoot him!" I demanded.

"That's ok, " Jeanine shrugged, "you can kill him we have plenty of guards."

"What?" Peter yelled angrily.

I growled frustrated. Of course Jeanine didn't care if Peter died, all she cared about was opening that damn box. She needed me for that. With that in mind I raised the gun pointing it at the side of my head.

"I'm guessing you need me alive for this, right?" I asked calmly enjoying the dreaded look the spread across her face.

"Beatrice," I head a familiar voice say softly to the right of me.

I looked over at…Caleb. The shock of seeing him here made me feel like my world was crashing down on me. He was here, working for Jeanine. Even after everything we went through. I couldn't think straight as Caleb came up to me taking the gun away from me.

"Caleb!" I choked out wanting him to talk to me.

"Don't engage the subject," Jeanine ordered, "the conditions are already less than optimal."

I shook my head which was running through a flurry of emotions.

"If I do this," I said slowly looking at the box, "the suicides will continue until you succeed and pass all five sims. Should be incentive enough."

"What about Eric?" I asked sounding more like a whimper than I meant it to.

"Should you pass all five sims," Jeanine said contemplatively, "I will let you seem him."

I didn't have a choice right now that was the best I could do. I didn't believe Jeanine that she would let me see Eric; I could only hope she would. I just had to see him one last time if this was going to be it. With ah heavy heart I stepped over to the disks and looked up. The computers near Jeanine began to fire up as several long, thick, black cords came out of the hole in the ceiling. They all hovered around me and produced long needles in them. I felt my heart spike as each of them began puncturing into my skin in different places.

Each one felt like an icy stab making my body go numb.

"Let's begin," I heard Jeanine's voice say softly as everything began to fade away.

From far off I heard the computer voice say, "Initializing Dauntless sim."


	18. Chapter 18

**Huge thanks to all my loyal readers!**

 **I know a lot of your are concerned about how the story will end**

 **Just know I will not let you guys down**

 **Are you guys ready for this one...**

I couldn't stop the shaking. I wasn't sure if it was because I was freezing or because I was infuriated and had no way of doing anything about it. My hands twitched and all I could really do was wrap my arms around my bare chest trying to preserve what any heat I could hang onto. Down in the Erudite basement, let alone locked in a tiny four by four concrete cell with iron bars, it was cold.

I lied huddled on the floor, with my eyes shut as tight as I could. It hurt to breath, Richard made sure of that. He had been down here every day beating me to a pulp. My entire body ached more than I ever have in my entire life. Not even in my training days was it this bad. This was different, now I was being beaten for a real reason. I was sure one of my ribs was cracked, along with a few other bones throughout my body. I could feel my heart beating dangerously slow. The Fulminator was taking its toll. My heart felt weak and with each pathetic beat it felt like it was exerting too much energy for a simply task.

I had more cuts and bruises all over my now. Richard had taken the pleasure of pouring various chemicals over most of my open wounds to further the pain. I hardly ate anymore. I was lucky if I got three meals a day, now it was mostly a stale sandwich in the morning and night and one cup of water for each other them. I was starving; I had no energy to fight off anyone.

An entirely selfish part of me wished I was dead now. I wanted to save her more than anything but now that would be impossible. I was done for…I just wanted the pain to end already. Who knows, maybe if I'm lucky I'll see Tris on the other side. However I seemed to be all outta luck, part of me knew that if I were to die I wouldn't see Tris where I'm going.

I remember everything…I kidnapped her. I smashed her head on a fucking rock. I brought her to Jeanine's feet. I even remember then testing her, she was one-hundred percent divergent and I fucking delivered her right to Jeanine. There was no way I was ever going to see her again, in this life or the next. I suppose I should get used to this pain because I had a feeling that even after I died, for where I would end up I would be suffering for an eternity.

No one spoke to my anymore, not even Richard when he came down for my daily torture sessions. I had no idea what was going on upstairs. I wasn't even sure how long I had been down here for. There were no lights or windows in this tiny cell. I had nothing better to do that sit in the dark and think about her…

I kept replaying every moment I had with her since I first met her in my head. The past was my only escape from this hell, I had no future ahead of me. The way her hair fell into her face, the tenacity she had in training to shut me up, the way her voice sounded when she told me she loved me. It was all I could cling onto to keep myself going.

I didn't move much even when I heard the door upstairs open and shut. Someone was coming down but it didn't sound like Richards thundering steps. I couldn't move much anyways. Every time I did it just sent more stabbing pains throughout my body. Still, it was curious that all I had heard was the sound of the door opening and closing. I heard no footsteps.

Things remained silent for a few moments. I had my back to the bars of my cell. Sleep was creeping up on me, at least then for a moment the pain would stop.

"Eric…?" a small voice barley over a whisper called out.

I thought that maybe I had imagined it…so I didn't move.

"Eric," it said again a little more forcefully. It was a small quiet voice sounding pure and innocent…no one I remembered from the typical people that come down here to torture me.

I struggled to move, growling through the pain as I did. I could hear my bones cracking into places as I positioned myself differently so I could look through the bars. One of my eyes felt swollen shut so I really only got on open. Sitting on the other side of the bar with a frightened look on her face was Alexis. She seemed like a ghost in such a dark endearing place.

"Get out," I growled resting my face on my arms looking at her through the bars.

Alexis just sat there looking at me, she started crying.

"You need to go," I said feeling my lungs protest at me speaking. Even my heart rate started to pick up from the energy I was exerting.

"What happened to you?" Alexis whimpered, "I don't understand…"

"That's because you're a fucking baby growing up in a fucked up world," I said and got a foul taste in my mouth. I recognized is as I violently spat out a pool of blood onto the floor of my cell.

"I'm not a baby," Alexis said calmly.

"You shouldn't be here," I said trying to remind myself who she was. I had to be nice, "if they find you down here you'll be in trouble."

"I don't care," Alexis growled. Something about her seemed different, her face looked older. All the naivety and innocence was gone, she was just another casualty of Erudite's cruelness.

"You should," I said back to her, "you should…you need to do what you can to stay alive."

"So do you," Alexis replied softly.

"I can't," I said slumping down pulling my arms around myself trying to get warm again. I turned away from her not wanting to see her face only now she got the full view of my back where along with all the cuts from the glass now had long bloody lashes from Richard whipping me violently.

"Yes you can!" Alexis yelled, "You're Eric! You were top of you class-,"

"Yeah," I scoffed spitting more blood on the floor, "second best!"

"You're my favorite Dauntless!" Alexis cried out.

That one struck a chord with me; I never bothered fighting off tears anymore.

"Your dad should be your favorite Dauntless," I whispered back to her.

"You're my favorite," Alexis said desperately, "You're the one who taught me everything. All my daddy ever did was work!"

"Your dad loved you!" I screamed at her, I refused to let this little girl detest her father.

"I know!" Alexis replied, "But he wasn't the one who taught me about what it meant to be dauntless! You did!"

I held my breath, so she wouldn't hear my choking on my own inner sob.

"Remember back two years ago," Alexis started to say, "and I was scared of riding my new bike and you took the training wheels off?"

I remember that day, in the Dauntless village. It was a warm summer day Max was working and Alexis was four. Zara invited me over because Alexis wanted to see me and she was glued to that bike. Without even thinking about it I tore off her training wheels and told her to ride it.

"I was terrified after I fell off the first time," Alexis said again, "I hated you for taking them off. But what I remember about that day was that it was you who taught me how to ride my bike not my dad."

I remember those days; Max was working on becoming leader of Dauntless which easily became a two year process. He had a lot of campaigning and work to do. He was hardly ever home, him and Zara fought constantly to the point they had considered separating. I convinced them not to for Alexis. From when Alexis was two to four I spent a lot of time with her. I stopped hanging around so much after she called me daddy one time.

"You're the one who told me about Dauntless and not him," Alexis said, she was crying now, "You're the one who told me that Dauntless never give up…you're the one who got me taught me to ride my bike…don't give up Eric please? I'll be sad if you die, if you die I don't have anyone. Not my daddy not you…"

I couldn't answer her; I didn't trust myself to speak. I wish she would just leave; this was hard enough as it is. I wish we both could forget about each other.

"What's so bad about divergents?" Alexis asked.

I didn't answer her. Sleep was getting closer and closer to me.

I heard the sound of a zipper, probably from Alexis backpack. I heard her fiddling with something but still wouldn't get up to see what she was doing. Except the next sound that I heard come from behind me changed everything.

 _"Divergent…two percent."_


	19. Chapter 19

**Tris...**

I had never felt so drained in my whole life. Emotionally, Physically and mentally. I laid on the thin mattress enjoying what little relief I could get out of finally laying down. Jeanine had forced me through four of the five sims, I completed the four. But it was the worst thing I've ever had to experience. I felt as if I couldn't think straight now.

I finished Dauntless by saving my mother from my burning house. For Candor I admitted to my mother that I don't want to be divergent anymore. I had gotten my parents killed, Eric is god knows where maybe I am what was wrong with society. Erudite was the most painful, I believed for a while that Eric had come to save me. Him, Four and the other Dauntless had stormed into the lab and Eric saved me. Except when we were escaping together, I realized that Eric was a sim. That one just about broke my heart all over again, seeing him fade away before me. The last sim, which I didn't even realize was when I spared Peter's life. Guess he was right, can't shake the abnegation.

As I was lying in the bed I heard the door open. I didn't really bother getting up, but I did notice Caleb sitting down on the concrete bench besides the bunk. I had never felt so disgusted with him, and I was disgusted with myself for being disgusted with him. I had never felt so far away from him as I did right now.

"You were never planning on going back to abnegation, were you?" I mumbled out.

"I had to do what I felt was right," Caleb replied diplomatically.

"Our parents would be ashamed of you," I growled angrily.

"Well maybe not," Caleb said but I could sense the hesitation in his words, "I mean, I'm willing to sacrifice you, the only family I have left, the only person that I love in order to preserve what's best for everyone else. What's more selfless than that? Besides, I think they would be ashamed of you too. Running around with that traitor-,"

"He's a better man than you," I replied wanting to scream but not having the energy, "he saved out mother once. He loves me."

"He raped you," Caleb accused of.

"No he didn't," I said breathlessly unable to hold in the tears. It stabbed my heart to think that's what people thought of him, "He loves me…I love him."

"Maybe you're a disgrace to Abnegation," Caleb replied calmly, "You know that any physical contact with the opposite sex is condoned in Abnegation. Mother and father would not be pleased."

"I'm not abnegation," I replied back a little more forcefully, "What does Jeanine think is in that box Caleb? What message?"

"It's a message about how to maintain the peace," Caleb replied desperately, "the box was to be opened only if the faction system broke down, which is why it requires someone like you to open it. You are living proof that the Divergent problem has grown beyond control."

I scoffed and sat up, "Do you even hear what you're saying right now?"

"No one thinks it's your fault that you were born this way," Caleb replied reaching out for my hand.

I whipped away from his touch, "Jeanine murdered and entire faction Caleb."

"That faction could no longer be trusted," he retorted sounding like he was reading that out of a book.

"She killed our parents," I said hoping to see the Caleb I remember.

"Our parents brought it on themselves," Caleb replied coldly.

A bitter disappointment grew in the pit of my stomach as I whispered, "What are you talking about?"

"The box, it was in their house," Caleb explained, "They were the ones hiding it. All of those lives could have been spared. Seems we didn't know our parents as well as we thought we did."

I shook my head at him, completely disgusted. I didn't recognize the person before me. He was not my family…Eric really was all I had now. A deep and desperate part of me was longing to know that he is ok.

The door to my cell opened again, this time Peter entered, "Alright…family reunions over. Time to go."

With a heavy heart I pulled myself up, feeling the muscles in my legs screaming at me in protest. With Peter and Caleb we headed back over to the lab. As we got closer, Peter spoke up.

"By the way Tris," he said with a sadistic smile, "I got a little surprise for you...actually I've got a few."

I grimaced at him, curious as to what kind of surprise he could possibly have for me. As we walked through the compound I glanced over at the other cells.

"Four!" I called out seeing him sitting in the cell.

"Tris!" he called out banging on the glass.

Peter quickly got ahold of me as I struggled against him. I couldn't let Four die because of me too. However in the struggled I felt a small piercing pain in my back, Peter must've injected me with a calming serum. He kept his iron grip on me as we continued through the halls. As we approached the main doors to enter into the Sim room Peter entered a code onto the screen nearby and the doors slid open.

"Ready for the best surprise of all?" Peter asked with a one sided smile.

When I saw Peter's 'surprise' on the other side it made my heart spike up to my throat.

"Eric!" I yelled, ignoring my sore legs I ran to him.

He was sitting on the floor, with is hands in his face which immediately snapped up to me, "Tris?"

I fell to the floor throwing my arms as tightly around him as I could. He looked absolutely terrible, in nothing more than a dirty white t-shirt stained with blood and grim and a pair of dark jeans, his face was all different shades of blue and purple. His lip was split open with dried blood all along his lips. He looked thoroughly exhausted and drained as I was. However in holding him in my arms, I could sense the same feeling of relief coming from him.

His breathing was ragged as he had his arms wrapped around my waist holding onto my desperately, "Tris…I'm so sorry…I'm sorry."

"It's ok," I whispered resting my hand on the back of his neck, "it's not you…it's them."

"I'm so sorry Tris," he deep voice said sounding weakened, "I never meant any of this to happen…"

"How touching," an amused voice came from the other side of the glass wall.

I chose to ignore Jeanine as I just held Eric in my arms wondering if this was going to be the last chance I would ever have. He rested his head on my shoulder facing my neck.

"As sentimental as this," Jeanine said impatiently, "we have work to do."

I pulled away resting my forehead on his, one of his eyes was swollen shut. His once deep blue eyes looked more gray and weary. I gently placed my hand on the side of his face reveling in his presence.

"Please just let him go," I said to Jeanine keeping contact with Eric.

"No," Eric said weary.

"Eric is a traitor," Jeanine said with a knife like edge to her voice, "you both know the punishment for that."

"Don't regret a single fucking moment of it," Eric spat at Jeanine.

"Not now traitor," Jeanine said to him and turned her menacing gaze onto me.

Eric looked as if he was going to pass out at any moment. I took him into my arms, letting his head rest on my chest while I cradled him. His breathing was slowing down.

"I gather your brother explained to you how vital the work you're doing here is to the future of this city?" Jeanine questioned.

"Fuck you!" I yelled at her while stroking the side of Eric's neck with my thumb.

"If his well-being is of such concern then you should focus on the task at hand," Jeanine replied glancing at Eric as if he were a parasite.

"Don't listen to her," Eric whispered into my neck.

"Tell me, do you appreciate irony?" Jeanine asked, "You tested positive for Erudite, so you must have the intellectual capacity.

"Irony?" I asked wondering where she was going with this.

"For instance, right now you're filled with hate. But you need to pass an Amity sim," Jeanine chuckled and then shook her head lightly, "Then there are other ironies at work, too. Such as the fact that your cherished mother."

"Don't," I growled quietly.

"Who you so dauntlessly saved in the sim is the reason you're in this mess to begin with," Jeanine continued on with a wicked grin.

"You're the reason I'm in this mess," I replied angrily.

"And then there's the most poignant irony of all," Jeanine said with a victorious smile.

"Stop!" I screamed tightening my grip on Eric who seems to be drifting in and out of conciseness.

That Natalie Prior not only died trying to protect the data that I now have in my possession," Jeanine purred.

"Because you stole it from her!" I screamed at her, "You killed her for it!"

Data that she so selfishly withheld," Jeanine continued cruelly, "But her own daughter, her beloved Divergent Tris is going to be the one to deliver it to me."

"I said stop!" I bemused unable to think of anything else feeling this fiery angry weld up inside of me.

Therefore, your mother's death, just like your boyfriend's death, will mean absolutely nothing," Jeanine finished with her cold sadistic smile.

I glanced back down at Eric, who was not unconscious in my arms. He was still breathing slowly as I laid him down gently on the floor kissing his forehead and whispered against his lips, "I don't care what they say about you…or what you think about yourself. I will always love you and you will always be the perfect Dauntless."

I released him from my grip and with all the uncontrollable rage I had within me, I let it consume me.


	20. Chapter 20

"Don't pull her out!" Jeanine commanded of her minions, "Not yet."

Tris was falling, gracefully so. Jeanine's faith began to waiver as Tris plummeted downward. The more she fell the more she began to panic behind her cool façade. When Tris had finally reached the bottom of her Sim, her body fell limp with an unusually loud crack. The glowing blue lights on the box all shut off at once.

"No, no!" Jeanine yelled running to the computer screen, "Bring her back! No! Bring her back! Come on!"

Desperately, Jeanine began to fiddle with the computer screens trying to bring her back however the computers knew better.

" _Test subject seven is no longer vital_ ," it had said robotically.

A wave of disappointment filled Jeanine in realizing that Tris was dead. She looked over her small limp body with contempt.

"I really thought you were the one," Jeanine mumbled as new plans began forming in her mind, "We'll just…we'll just have to resume our search."

 _We had been so close,_ Jeanine thought bitterly. She was much to distracted in her own thoughts that she didn't notice Caleb enter into the sim room looking over Tris's dead body.

"Find solace in your faction Caleb," Jeanine ordered coldly, "we're your family now...Peter, take her to Tobias Eaten."

I paced slowly around the lab while the guards began pulling Tris out of the sim room and onto a table. Jeanine's mind was swimming with impatience and desperation as they wheeled out her body. Jeanine glanced bitterly into the sim room, Eric the treacherous rat was still lying limp on the floor. She picked up a nearby remote with a large knob, currently turned off and a few buttons on it. at the top of the remote had a label on it reading 'Eric'. Jeanine did have a plan to use him but now it seemed utterly useless. However Jeanine needed a moment to think as she idly tossed the remote back onto the desk and went back to pacing deep in thought.

Elsewhere, Peter was wheeling the table which now had a thin blanket covering Tris's body. Peter's hands were sweating nervously, but held up a strong front due to other Erudite members standing behind him. Peter walked ahead to Four's cell. He jumped up defensively at once.

"Jeanine wanted me to show you this," Peter said with malice as he opened Four's cell.

Four stumbled out of the cell, approaching the table with the deep blue blanket over it. With shaking fingers he pulled back the covers to reveal Tris. Even in death she had a pained look on her face as a small pool of blood was gathering in her ears and from her nose. Although Four had never had the chance to develop a relationship with Tris, in a way he did love her. Which is why he felt his heart pounding irregularly in his chest.

In a ravenous state, Four went to attack Peter grabbing him by his jacket and shoving him into the wall. The other guards followed suit grabbing onto Four, placing their guns at the back of his head. Four paused and glanced up at Peter who showed the smallest hint of a smirk.

"Hey Four," Peter said slowly, "Maybe do that thing you do?"

Four returned the smirk as he head butted the guard, while Peter shot out the other. The two of them fell to the floor while, a faint noise came from behind them. Four noticed at went over to the table, pulling off the blanket.

Slowly, Tris began breathing again and her eyes fluttered open, "Four…"

"Tris," Four said feeling a wave of relief, "It's ok…"

"Hey Four," Peter said excitedly, "that was pretty good right? First, I swiped a paralytic from the infirmary. Then I shot her up when she was all freaking out about you. I mean, I told these guys I was pretty smart. Guess they should have listened."

Tris and Four seemed to not really be listening as Tris looked around taking in her new surroundings. All the memories came flooding back to her…Eric.

"We need to go get Eric," Tris said jumping off the table wobbly.

Four grabbed at her arms trying to steady her, "Where is he?"

"In the lab," Tris said and went to one of the guards pulling the gun off them, "Thank you Peter."

"Yeah whatever now we're even stiff," Peter said quickly and awkwardly.

"Let's just grab and Eric and run," Four said holding onto his gun defensively.

"We can't," Tris said breathlessly as they began walking through the halls, "They'll kill him."

"We can stop them if we get-," Four began to reply.

"No she's right," Peter added on, "he's got the fulminator. The remote to his is in the lab Tris. We just need to grab it."

"The what?" Four asked confused.

"Later," Tris said as the stopped at leaning against the wall.

"Peter," Four said quietly, "is there another way into the lab?"

"I mean," Peter said thinking it over, "I'd have to go into the control room and disable all the doors."

"Good, then do that," Four ordered briskly.

"Ok," Peter nodded nervously, "you mean now?"

"Yes," Four replied, "you just chose our side whether you meant to or not. If you want to survive, make sure we do. Go!"

"Fuck," Peter said rolling his eyes but left the two of them heading down the halls.

* * *

My heart was beating wildly at the prospect of finally getting Eric away safely. If I could grab the remote to control his Fulminator we could run far away from here. My mind soon became full of fantasies of Eric and I together…but first we had to get him. Four and I made it to outside the lab. Four kept scanning his face waiting to get access. A horrible thought ran through my mind in that moment.

If Peter decided to betray us we were dead. However after a few painful minutes, Peter must've over rode the system because Four managed to get us in. The lab was eerily quiet and empty. The first thing I noticed was Eric…hooked up to the Sim. My heart ached as seeing him; he was flailing around growling in pain. There were no Erudite running his sim but I could tell he was being put through a Dauntless sim. He was reacting to no existent blows all over his body while his vitals were being recorded. His heart rate and blood pressure was dangerously high.

"How do we get him out?" Four demanded looking around the lab.

"I'll figure it out," I said going up to the screen, "Look for a small remote, it should have Eric's name on it I think."

Four began digging through drawers and stacks of papers on the table tops looking for it. I messed with the things on the screen unable to figure out how to stop it. With each moment that passed and each yell of pain coming from Eric I panicked more and more. The system was too complicated, I couldn't figure out how to stop it.

"Wait," a quiet voice came from the lab doors.

My stomach sank in thinking that we were caught…but it was Caleb. I wasn't sure how to react but Caleb came up to the screen quickly avoiding my eye sight. Four had his gun raised to him. Caleb seemed to ignore all of it as he navigated through a few screens. Eric began to calm down as Caleb turned off the Dauntless sim.

"Thank you," I mumbled to him but unable to quell my anger with him.

"C'mon," Four said heading to the door to the Dauntless sim, "let's grab Eric and get out of here."

I followed him through the doors over to Eric. He was now lying on the floor with all of the black cables still attached to him. I could see the weak rising and falling of his chest, he was alive but only just. I went over to him, pulling into my arms gently. I glanced up at the box on the pedestal.

"I have to open the box," I said bluntly to Four's surprised face.

"Tris we don't have time for this," Four said desperately, "we have to go."

"I can't," I said speaking from my heart, "It's not what Jeanine thinks it is, I know it's not. My mom died protecting whatever's inside of this. I have to open it for her and I think I know how."

"Tris if we don't leave now we'll never find that remote for Eric and we'll never get out of here," Four pressed anxiously.

"I have to do this first," I replied calmly, "Look, I know it doesn't make any sense but you have to trust me, please."

Four shook his head exasperated, but said, "Fine…just hurry. I'll keep looking for the remote."

Before Four could take another step, Eric let out a gut wrenching scream, his hands went to his face as he began clawing himself out of pain. In the center of his chest, his Fulminator was glowing red.

My eyes snapped back to the lab, Jeanine stood there with the remote in her hand. With her was several other Erudite and Dauntless. Four instantly went to the door of the sim room and closed it.

"Stop it!" I cried out desperately to the point of hurting my voice.

Jeanine tuned the dial on the remote and Eric fell limp before me, shaking.

"Back again are we?" Jeanine mused.

"I'm not going to fight you," I replied calmly, if Eric died now…so would I and honestly the idea brought a sense of peace to my mind.

"How very amity of you," Jeanine mused going over to the computers and firing them up, "you're an even bigger fool than your mother."

"Say what you want Jeanine," I offered to her, "I'm not going to fight you."

"Of course you're not," Jeanine said as the hole in the ceiling before me opened. The cables began snaking their way down to me and hovered above me.

"However I am going to offer you a choice Ms. Prior," Jeanine mused glancing down at Eric, "First we'll need the precious Dauntless awake."

Jeanine pressed a few buttons on the remote and Eric's eyes snapped open looking at me.

"Eric…" I whispered running my thumb along his bruised cheek.

However the look he gave me was not Eric…it was cold and menacing. This wasn't the Eric I knew. Jeanine had him under her sim, except he wasn't attacking me.

"Eric please," I said to him putting my forehead on his, "just look at me…remember who you are. Remember who I am."

"It won't do you any good," Jeanine replied stepping close to the glass, "he won't do anything until I command it. I have a deal to discuss with you."

"What deal?" I asked nervously.

Eric was still glaring up at me as if he wanted to kill me.

"I will allow one of you to live," Jeanine said with a pompous smile, "all one of you has to do is kill the other."

"You're a monster," I whimpered to her.

"Well the way I see it," Jeanine said calmly, "either you kill Eric and torture yourself knowing you're responsible for his death…or you spare Eric and let him take your life to which the amity sim should be complete."

"He'll never do it," I replied loosening my grip on Eric.

"We'll see," Jeanine said as a few more Erudite came into the Sim room, "he will if I demand him too."

The Erudite came in and grabbed Eric away from me. His menacing cold gaze on me never faltered. Even through his gaze, I needed to believe that Eric was strong enough to break free. The Erudite took him to the other side of the Sim room where more cables came down from another hole in the ceiling. As if we wasn't in any pain, Eric stood up straight and tall. He never even flinched as all the cables stabbed him as his eyes shut slowly.

Next thing I knew the cables around me penetrated me. I could feel the icy cool serum injecting into me as I fell into the sim. Everything remained dark, I either couldn't open my eyes or was still in the dark. However I felt a familiar soft strong hand running up my back comfortingly.


	21. Chapter 21

"Eric…" I called out hoping he'd answer me.

He never did but now opening my eyes. I was in the training room back in Dauntless. The orange punching bags hung along the railings, the matts scattered throughout the large open airy room. But it was silent and empty in here. It was entirely daunting.

"Tris!" a strong bold voice came from behind me, "In the ring!"

I jumped at his voice, I turned and saw him there…and he looked amazing. Although he had the typical menacing grimace on his face, the bruises and cuts all over were gone. He looked just as handsome and strong as I remember, his face wasn't sunken in and weary looking. I could see the blinking blue light under his black t-shirt. It wasn't him…

"Today initiate," Eric ordered stepping into the ring and took of his vest letting it fall to the floor.

"No," I said shaking my head.

"What?" Eric demanded crossing his big arms.

"No," I replied crossing my own arms stubbornly.

"Get your ass into the is ring or your out!" Eric barked at me.

"Fine," I replied still just standing there.

"I train soldiers here not rebels," Eric said walking towards me and grabbed onto my arms hard.

"I know…" I replied softly, "you're the best trainer I ever had…you're the greatest man I've ever known."

Eric's face got colder by the second, he shoved me backwards. The force from his push threw me so far back I hit the back wall. It crumbled around me loudly. Eric came running towards me and every step he took seemed to thunder loudly, cracking the ground beneath him. I just stood there, waiting for him.

"Fight back!" Eric demanded as he got closer to me.

The raised his fist at me punching me square in the face. The wall behind us crumbled away. I flew farther backwards, trying to breathe through the shock of the pain. I laid there in the street absorbing the pain, Eric followed me.

"Fight back you coward!" Eric yelled burying his boot into my stomach, "You're such a fucking stiff."

"Eric you need to fight back," I said spitting out a pool of blood.

"You need to get the fuck up and prove to me how Dauntless you are," Eric said coldly looking down at me like an insect, "I told you, you chose us and now we're choosing you…or not."

He grabbed onto my jacket harshly and threw me and hit a brick wall square on my back.

"Get up!" Eric screamed at me.

"No," I mumbled back weakly.

"Why not?" Eric yelled just standing there. His face kept twitching and he kept shaking his head.

"Because I love you," I replied pulling myself up weakly. I was so used to being in pain lately that it seemed like I was used to it now.

"Don't love me," Eric commanded, still shaking his head. He was sweating profusely.

I could see it in his eyes, he was fighting it.

"I do Eric," I said stepping closer to him. I reached out to him.

Eric immediately took my outstretched hand and pinned me up against the brick wall. He gave one more punch to my stomach, violently knocking the wind out of me. I coughed aggressively trying to regain some clarity, coughing up more blood. Eric seemed to step back; he was looking at me curiously as I sat there withering in pain. He gripped his face harshly, breathing raggedly.

"Eric I know you're hurt," I said straightening up. I stepped closer to him and before he had time to react I put my hands on his face.

He looked at me with a mix of disgust and shock at me putting his hands on the sides of his face…but he didn't do anything.

"I'm hurt to Eric," I said softly to him leaning into him, "I know you hate yourself…I hate myself sometimes too. But it's not us that's the problem, it's them Eric. They made us into who we are. Eric I know who you are deep down…you want people to love you. You want to prove to yourself and others that you're strong and brave and a good man. You are Eric…"

Eric seemed to stand there with a still disgusted look on his face. But he still wasn't reacting so I kept talking.

"You're mad at me," I said, thinking just keep talking, "you're mad because I killed Max. You loved him and he loved you…now you're mad at me for taking him away. And you're mad at yourself for everything that you've done…but Eric I just want you to know that, I forgive you for everything. I can be your family if you let me Eric."

"Tris…" Eric said his voice wavering, "I… I can't be-,"

"Yes you can," I cut him off urgently, "you're the bravest person I know Eric. Just let me in, please…I forgive you Eric, you need to forgive yourself."

"I fucking can't!" Eric said shoving me back against the wall. He raised his fist to me again.

"Yes you can!" I screamed at him before he let his fist fly, "Be brave Eric…can you forgive me?"

Eric lowered his fist but closed his eyes tightly. His breathing became slow and steady. When he reopened his eyes…they were the same light shade of blue that they were when he made love to me in the clock tower.

"Tris…" he muttered softly.

* * *

"Amity sim, Complete," the computer system announced.

"Wait…" Jeanine said looking over the system, "it's not possible."

"Did Tris finish the sim?" one of the Erudite's asked.

"It wasn't Tris," Richard said looking at the screen with a look of pure hatred across his face, "It was Eric."

"No!" Jeanine shouted at them, her cool façade fading fast. There was no way she was wrong, "Eric couldn't have finished the simulation! That means he'd have to be-."

* * *

Oh my god, I missed her. I loved her. I loved her so much, was all I could think of as I held onto her as tight as I possibly could. I decided in that moment I would never let her go again. She kept her tight grip on me, breathing down my neck slowly. By her breathing I knew she could feel the overwhelming feeling of relief growing inside of us.

"Tris…" whispered in her ear, "Don't ever leave me."

"Never," Tris whispered back to me, "you completed the amity sim… that means that you're-."

"Just a lousy two percent," I said back to her with a smile

Tris reached up to my chest, feeling the metal balls in my chest. The light wasn't blinking anymore. It was off, I wondered why. My heart was pounding though, I placed my hand over Tris's holding her firmly to my chest. I could tell she could feel it to.

"It's all you're Tris," I whispered to her.

" _Initializing message_ ," a computer voice came from around us.

Keeping my arms wrapped around her waist, I looked around us. We were standing outside Dauntless, the wall had been destroyed and shattered. The box was standing on the pedestal near us, glowing brilliantly blue.

"We're still in the sim aren't we?" I asked looking over to Tris confused. My body didn't hurt like I know it should. We were still under. I was divergent…I am divergent. After all this time…

"Looks like it two percent," Tris smiled up at me.

Off to the right of us, a hologram of a woman stood before us from the box.

" _Hello. I come from outside the wall, where we have all but destroyed each other_ ," said the woman, she looked familiar. She had Tris's hazel eyes. This was what Jeanine had been waiting for, " _We designed your city as an experiment. We believe it is the only way to recover the humanity we have lost. And we created factions to ensure peace. But we believe there will be those among you who will transcend these factions. These will be the Divergent. They are the true purpose of this experiment, they are vital to humanity's survival. If you're watching this now, then at least one of you is proof that our experiment has succeeded. The time has come for you to emerge from your isolation and rejoin us. We've allowed you to believe that you're the last of us. But you're not. Mankind waits for you with hope beyond the wall."_

* * *

I knew it…my mother was right all along. I slowly opened my eyes to see Eric to the right of me, also waking up. He glanced over at me and smiled. Everyone in the Erudite lab all shared the same look of shock and disbelief. Four was standing the sim room, glancing between Eric and I. he looked just as shocked as everyone else. And Eric…he was like me. We were both divergent. I pulled all the cables out of my body and stood up.

"You were wrong about us, we were never the problem," I said with a blissful smile and walked over to Eric removing the cables from him, "We're the solution."

Eric was still weak, he fell into my arms. Four came over to the other side placing one of Eric's arms around his neck, together we held him up.

"Thank you," Eric muttered to Four and then glanced between the both of us, "So does this mean I get to join your little divergent club?"

A menacing look of failure spread over Jeanine's face. She looked at us all precariously and then glanced over her shoulder to another man. A man that looked curiously like Eric only more severe…

"Bury the box," she ordered as the man that looked like Eric behind her took out a remote.

I didn't have to question her to know what that remote was for. The panic in Eric's eyes was quick to ignite in seeing what he was doing. His grip around me tightened, preparing for what was coming.

"Stop!" I yelled out to him.

"The serum running through your veins may not work on a divergent Eric," the man said, his deep voice shaking with rage, "but the conductors wrapped around you're pathetic heart will still kill you."

"Bury the box," Jeanine ordered coldly, "No one sees it. Ever."

Suddenly the sound of a bomb exploding near the door to the lab made everyone jump. All the dauntless and factionless came storming in holding up guns to all of the Erudite's. Eli came running straight up to the man holding the remote who became temporarily distracted.

"Elijah," the man said with a shocked look on his face.

"Hey dad," Eli said sarcastically and his him over the head with the end of his gun. He fell to the floor limply as Eli picked up the remote to Eric's Fulminator.

"Don't worry brother," Eli said holding it up, "I got it."

"Dad?" I asked looking over at Eric.

"Unfortunately," Eric sighed.

More and more Dauntless came filing in. Jeanine, Caleb, and all the other Erudite were arrested and taken away. Eli came in and help get ahold of Eric while Four took the box. He began messing with the computers, saying that we was going to put the message on every monitor on the city. Along with all the other people that filed into the lab, three more people came over to Eric, Eli and I. Two who looked very similar was who I assumed were Eric's brothers. One of their faces was just as bruised up and weary as Eric looked. Another was a woman who had eyes like Eric's.

"Eric!" She cried out wrapping his arms around him.

"Hey mom," he said quietly and then turned to his other brother, "Jed!"

Jed, engulfed Eric in a similar hug.

"Have I thanked you yet for everything you've done for me yet?" Eric asked quietly.

"No," Jed said shaking his head with a chuckle.

"Well…" Eric mused playfully, "why start now?"

"Jed! Cole!" Eli said happily and hugged the both of them as well.

"Hey…Eli," Jed said awkwardly as he and the other brother, Cole hugged him back shyly.

"All my boys," the older looking woman mused happily, "never thought I'd see the day when you were all together again."

I stood there, letting them enjoy their small family reunion. Everything seemed to be shifting; it felt like I could finally breathe for the first time in months. I watched the Erudite take Caleb away. He looked at me impassively, as if unsure of what to think. I wasn't sure what to think…so I did nothing.


	22. Chapter 22

I sat back, leaning in the comfy chair breathing in the warm summer air. It was a hot sticky day, but the lemonade that Eli made was sure helping. I sat in the shade of the porch, sipping on it. From the inside of our modest house, I could hear Katherine on the other side of the screen happily chatting with Beth. They were preparing lunch for all of us. I ran my hand over my rounding stomach, feeling the little life inside of me kicking happily at Eli's lemonade.

Out in the grassy forest, I couldn't help smiling at Eric. He had a mile wide smile plastered on his face making him look young and carefree in nothing more than a crisp white t-shirt and jeans. I feel like I could sit here and look at his smile all day, it wasn't very often I ever got to see a smile like that on his face. At his feet was our golden dog Max, happily barking and jumping on him. Eric held a small ball over him, playing with him. Eli was nearby playing with Max as well, he and Eric laughed as Eric threw the ball out into the woods and Max took off chasing after it.

It had been nearly four years since the war with Erudite had ended. It had taken its toll on everyone. An entire faction was nearly dead, no one trusted Erudite anymore, and the very foundation of Dauntless crumbled until there was no Dauntless anymore. No one really bothered to try to get the faction system going again. Everyone just seemed to go on living, everyone needed time to heal. No one more so than Eric.

I remember about a week after everything that Eric gave me the remote to his Fulminator.

"I want you to keep it," Eric said holding it out to me. His face was healing up slowly. With a week of proper meals and rest he was beginning to pick up again.

"No…" I said shakily. The remote reminded me to much of all the evils of Erudite.

There was no way of removing it from Eric's chest. He would keep it for the rest of his life.

"Tris I want you to have it," Eric said desperately taking my hand as we sat together in the infirmary. He reached out and took my hand, placing the cool remote with his name on it and closed my hand for me around it, "As long as I'm alive the Fulminator will be alive. That means it can always be killed at any second without a moment's notice…you're the only person that I trust enough to give this to. You already have my heart…now I want you to keep it."

I hid the remote well. No one would ever find it, I wanted it out of sight forever. After Eric and Jed had recovered entirely, everyone came to the same consensus that they wanted to get out of the city. Eric had made sure to pick up an abandoned golden retriever puppy on our way out. He decided that now that we had the chance, we were going to have everything. So we went out, pass the fence near the Amity farms into the woods. Some people vouched to stay in the city, some went out to the woods. People from all various factions came out together. It was a curious thing to see people from all factions out in the woods building houses together. The faction system had truly crumbled; we weren't bound by our faction system anymore.

Eric and I had built a modest three bedroom house for ourselves. Next to our house were Jed and Beth's and a little down the newly paved path was Four's new house. Soon enough, we had our own little village hidden in the woods.

Over the last four years, I had spent countless sleepless nights with Eric. The guilt of everything consumed him. I knew deep down he had forgiven himself, otherwise he never would have passed the Amity sim. Except Eric was exceptionally stubborn, it had taken years of 'I love yous', and convincing to get him to really move on. He still woke up screaming some nights, I was there every time. I had nightmares too every once in a while and he was there for me. the road to redemption for the both of us was a long exhausting one, but we had each other.

When I had found out that I was pregnant back six months ago, Eric seemed to change. Especially when we could both start to tell that my tummy was growing. He seemed to hold onto my longer, keeping his hands over my tummy. I'll never forget the look on his face when he first felt the baby kick. It melted my heart to see him so excited and happy that night.

Now, sitting out on the porch swing, listening to the water in the nearby river I couldn't feel more at peace.

"Hey everyone! Lunch is ready!" I heard Beth's sweet melodic voice call from inside my house.

"C'mon Maxy," Eric called to our golden retriever.

Eli, Eric and Max cam bounding up the wooden stairs to our house. Eli and Max entered in excitedly while Eric lingered outside with me. inside I could hear them all fussing over Max who was jumping on the furniture while Katherine was trying to set the table. I loved everything about all of them

I felt tired, the little one inside me refused to let me sleep as they kicked me all night. Eric smiled warmly at me, coming to kneel right in front of me.

"Is she still kicking?" Eric asked placing his big hands on my stomach.

"How are you so sure it's a girl?" I asked. Beth regularly did checkups with me. We haven't been able to determine if it's a boy or girl yet.

"I want a girl," Eric smiled not taking his eyes off my stomach as he kissed it softly, "you need to let your mommy sleep young lady."

"With how rowdy this baby is," I said running my hand through his hair, "I think it's a boy."

"It's a girl," he smirked back up at me holding onto my waist, "she just takes after her dad."

"I hope she does," I mused happily.

"So you do agree with me," Eric said standing up and pulled me up with him, "it is a girl."

"I just want healthy," I said reaching up running my hands over his chest. My fingers grazed against the Fulminator in his chest. He seemed to tense every time I touched it.

"I hope she takes after you more than me honestly," he said rubbing my waist softly. I could see the doubt and fear in his eyes still.

"Any names for our little rowdy princess?" I asked him playfully.

Eric glanced down ay my stomach again. He looked deep in thought as a dreamy look broke out over his face, "Natalie?"

I held my breath surprised at his answer. I felt the tears gather in my eyes quickly as I felt a smile break out over my face. I wish she was here to see everything Eric and I had built.

"Natalie," I nodded in agreement as Eric took me in his arms and the small little life we created together kicked us both happily.

 **The End**

 **Told you I wouldn't let you guys down :)**


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